GOV’S A ‘BAN’ MAN

Gov. Cuomo on Tuesday said he supported barring serial perverts from running rampant through the city’s subway system — but stopped short of committing to banning them for life.

“If you are convicted of two sexual offenses on the subway system . . . I fully support saying after the second conviction you are banned from going back through the subway,” Cuomo said when asked if he was in favor of levying lifetime stay-away orders against subway sex-crime recidivists.

Asked to clarify if he backed permanent prohibitions, as opposed to largely toothless temporary ones already sometimes imposed as conditions of probation or parole, Cuomo was noncom- mittal — but didn’t rule out the lifetime bans.

“I would support a ban. How long [of ] a ban? I would be open,” said Cuomo, speaking at an unrelated press briefing. “The precedent is set: We have sexual predators who get locked up and get released and we say — common sense — we don’t want them locating near a school, near areas where they have in the past targeted victims.

“You have people who target victims in the subways, and that’s where they go,” he continued. “Many people, crowded areas, certain techniques, and that’s where they go.”

The issue of turnstile justice has gained traction since a Post exposé earlier this week about transit cops’ tireless pursuit of a dirty dozen sex-crime recidivists who refuse to stay away from the subway system.

Cops on the frontlines say they’ve been asking the MTA for years to impose and enforce lifetime bans against the serial grinders, gropers and public masturbators, only to have their pleas fall on deaf ears.

Hours before Cuomo’s comments Tuesday, the NYPD’s transit boss spoke out about his cops’ frustration with having to stand by until known pervs pick out their next victim.

“We have to watch and wait until they find their victim,” testified Chief Edward Delatorre at a hearing of the City Council’s Public Safety Committee.

“I would,” said Delatorre, when asked if he would support a lifetime ban on incorrigible sex criminals from the subway system by Brooklyn Councilman Chaim Deutsch — who on Monday threw his own backing behind the idea.

“I would 100 percent support” a ban, Chief of Detectives Dermot Shea told reporters after the hearing. “These are heinous, despicable acts and we can — and I think we should — do better for the victims.”

Law-enforcement insiders have insisted the MTA could bar recidivists for life today if they wanted, but speculated that the agency doesn’t for fear of legal challenges.

Cuomo acknowledged concerns over “civil liberties and access to transportation,” but said he believed “a legislative change” could be worked out.