""We demand that Amtrak Police immediately cease identifying and targeting members of the LGBTQ community for search, seizure and arrest on the basis of their perceived sexual orientation or gender identity," the lawmakers wrote to Amtrak President Roger Harris. "While Amtrak is entitled to ensure that its facilities are not used for illicit purposes, we do not believe Amtrak should be doing so with a hostile arrest campaign reminiscent of anti-LGBTQ policing from the Stonewall era.""
"State Sens. Brad Hoylman-Sigal and Liz Krueger, and Assemblymember Tony Simone, who all represent parts of Manhattan, also signed the letter. The crackdown involved undercover officers posted in the bathrooms at urinals or in stalls, looking for men meeting up for anonymous sex. A cruising app called "Sniffies" featured a group dedicated to the bathroom. In recent weeks it featured numerous men warning others to avoid the bathroom because of the police presence."
About 200 people have been arrested at Penn Station bathrooms since June on allegations of public lewdness or indecent exposure, with at least 20 transferred to ICE custody. Rep. Jerrold Nadler, State Sens. Brad Hoylman-Sigal and Liz Krueger, and Assemblymember Tony Simone demanded Amtrak Police stop identifying and targeting LGBTQ individuals for searches and arrests and called the tactics reminiscent of Stonewall-era policing. The enforcement surge used undercover officers posted at urinals and in stalls to monitor anonymous encounters. A cruising app called "Sniffies" featured warnings about police presence. Lawmakers requested a meeting with Amtrak police amid the Trump administration's takeover of Penn Station redevelopment.
Read at Gothamist
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