POLICE TUNNEL VI$ION

MTA crisis: Vallone

A City Council member wants to hold hearings this fall to grill MTA officials about risky cuts to the agency’s bridge and tunnel patrols, which he said puts the city at further risk of terror attack.

“We’ve prevented at least 15 terror attacks since 9/11,” Queens Councilman Peter Vallone, chair of the Public Safety Committee, told The Post. “Our bridges are a prime target. Common sense indicates that we increase protection on our bridges, not decrease it.”

He said he is considering holding a jointpublic hearing with the council’s transportation committee.

Before manpower cuts began in late 2012, the MTA’s Triborough Bridge and Tunnel Authority had officers in at least two patrol cars stationed at each of the city’s crossings, which handle nearly a million drivers a day

Since then, they have significantly cut back on patrols, particularly on the Henry Hudson, Throgs Neck and Whitestone bridges, multiple lawenforcement sources have told The Post.

“Because of the situation uncovered by The Post, we’ve learned our bridges are not as safe as they once were,” said Vallone.

MTA spokeswoman Judie Glave defended the security of the bridges, and dismissed claims that they were not being vigorously patrolled.

“While MTA Bridges and Tunnels does not disclose operation details of its directedpatrol security plan, every crossing is secured continuously around the clock,” said Glave.

“The layered security approach developed since 9/11 has enabled MTA Bridges and Tunnels to operate more efficiently without eliminating any patrol cars.”

She said that the agency’s top priority was their customers’ security and safety, and noted that officers had made 167 DWI arrests so far this year, ahead of 161 busts last year. Glave said they had also given out more summonses.

“The results speak for themselves,” she said.

Lawenforcement sources have told The Post that the cuts make it difficult to process DWI busts, and they are under a lot of heat to reduce their arrest activity.

“The MTA has to make public safety their number one priority,” said Vallone. “I’m amazed that 11 years after 9/11, they haven’t done it.”