Krueger Wants Building Commissioner to Go

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By Azi Paybarah

March 21, 2008 | 1:13 p.m

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Courtesy of Liz Krueger

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State Senator Liz Krueger wants the city’s commissioner at the Department of Buildings to step down following the deadly crane accident last week.

Krueger, who represents the Upper East Side, said in a public statement just now, “The problems at the DOB are systemic, and exist from top to bottom. The first step that must be taken now is for DOB Commissioner Patricia Lancaster to step down.”

The Buildings Department inspector who admitted to falsifying documents that said he had inspected the crane was arrested yesterday.

Here is the full statement from Krueger:

"The purpose of having the Department of Buildings (DOB) is to make sure that the buildings in our City, both under construction and those already standing, are structurally safe, sound and meeting legal standards. The DOB has failed miserably in meeting its mission. The increasing frequency of construction site accidents, as well as yesterday's report that an inspector at the agency was falsifying reports, is very alarming."

"Last week's crane accident on the Eastside, which cost seven lives, is the latest in a string of incidents that prove the DOB is operating without the leadership needed to make the kind of changes needed in order to protect workers and residents."

"The problems at the DOB are systemic, and exist from top to bottom. The first step that must be taken now is for DOB Commissioner Patricia Lancaster to step down. I do not recall a time that I have called for a resignation since I was elected to office, and do not take this lightly. However, her resistance to enact real change following any of
the previous incidents which resulted in unnecessary deaths, has made it all too clear that the agency cannot be fixed while she is in charge."