good morning. It's Monday. Today we profile a mental health shelter that is struggling to serve some of its residents, including Carlton McPherson, who was charged last week in a fatal subway crash.
This was another incident of violent crime that has been occurring frequently on the subway recently. Last week, Carlton McPherson, 24, was arrested and charged with murder after police say he pushed a 54-year-old man, an unknown man, onto an oncoming train on Platform 4.
Before the fatal incident, McPherson had been staying in a specialized homeless shelter designed to support people with severe mental illness. There are a total of 38 such facilities in the city, with approximately 5,500 beds. The city spent about $260 million a year building the shelter.
But interviews with residents revealed that those who stayed there received only sporadic mental health services, and a review of records from four years at the shelter found that violence and disorder were commonplace. It turned out to be a common occurrence.
A Times investigation found:
A spokesperson for the Department of Homeless Services said the agency works to connect shelter residents with mental health services, but its primary mission is to provide emergency housing.
At least nine shelter residents have died since 2018, and more than 62 have been reported to have suffered life-threatening injuries or been hospitalized at the Bronx facility where McPherson recently stayed.
Residents at the shelter said it was clear that McPherson's mental health issues had not been resolved while he was there. “This guy needed help,” said Roe Dwayne, who was at the scene at the time.
Resources were scarce, according to interviews with current and former employees. In a shared dormitory setting, up to 20 residents will be placed in her one room. Many in need of intensive mental health services were sent to hospitals, sometimes being released after just a few hours.
McPherson had been arrested previously. Police say he was charged with assaulting another teenager with brass knuckles in the Bronx when he was 16 years old. Last year, while staying at another homeless shelter in Brooklyn, he was arrested and charged with assaulting a security guard with a cane.
Police say on March 25, on Platform 4 in East Harlem, McPherson pushed an unknown man into an oncoming train without provocation. The man, identified as Jason Volz (54), was pronounced dead at the scene.
Although violent incidents involving the homeless and mentally ill are relatively rare, recent incidents have some New Yorkers feeling alarmed.
Mayor Eric Adams, who has made public safety a cornerstone of his policies, announced last week that he would soon begin hiring clinicians to staff all subway lines with mental health workers.
However, similar efforts have yielded mixed results. In November, the Times revealed a long-standing pattern of lack of social safety nets for homeless mentally ill people under the city's care.
The state auditor reiterated those findings in February in an audit of a state program called Kendra Law that aims to treat mentally ill people who are at risk of becoming violent.
The program began in 1999 after a man with untreated schizophrenia pushed a woman in front of a subway train.
weather
Rain is expected to continue into the evening, with highs in the 50s. The evening will be cloudy and temperatures will drop into the mid-40s.
Alternate parking lot
Valid until April 10th (Eid al-Fitr).
metropolitan diary
new soles
Dear diary:
Many years ago, my cousin recommended me a job that I thought would be perfect for me. I took my interview suit to a dry cleaners and had the soles of my shoes re-soled.
On the day of the interview, I headed to Midtown from the Bronx. I didn't bother checking the weather, but by the time I got off at Columbus Circle it was pouring.
I bought an umbrella at the station, but before I got to 7th Avenue, the wind turned it upside down and I couldn't use it anymore. I walked the rest of the way naked.
A block away from the building I was about to go to, I felt a draft on my right foot. I looked down and saw that the newly finished sole was peeling and peeling off. With each step, it fluttered and dragged on the pavement.
I decided to remove it completely. Now, all that separated my toes from the streets of New York City was a thin layer of fabric.
We finally arrived at our destination, drenched and limping a bit. I was completely confused. The only bright spot is that the portfolio keeps my resume dry.
I bombed the interview. Sitting in an air-conditioned office in a wet suit, I couldn't concentrate. Feeling every thread of the carpet against my toes didn't help. My cousin didn't say anything, but I can only imagine the feedback she received.
As I was walking up the stairs at the subway station near my home, the fabric on the bottom of my shoe finally tore. I walked the three blocks home with my right leg completely exposed.
— Henry Suarez
Illustrations by Agnes Lee. Submit your submission here and Click here to read more Metropolitan Diary.
I'm glad to be able to gather here. Ed Shanahan is coming tomorrow.
PS Today is here mini crossword and spelling contest. All puzzles can be found here.
Melissa Guerrero and Ed Shanahan contributed to New York Today. You can reach the team at nytoday@nytimes.com.
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Thursday's New York Today article about museum renovations at Ellis Island incorrectly stated the role of the Statue of Liberty-Ellis Island Foundation. We work in conjunction with the National Park Service, which operates the museum. We do not operate the museum itself.
