May 26, 2008 New York City is adding 63 building inspectors, bringing the total number to 461, according to the New York Times. The move comes after a spate of fatal construction accidents.
Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg had promised to reform the Building Department when he took office in 2002. Despite some progress, a recent spate of fatal construction accidents, most prominently a crane collapse in March that killed seven, led to the resignation of the buildings commissioner, Patricia J. Lancaster, last month.
The department has already established seven enforcement teams, which can appear on job sites unannounced with the authority to suspend work on the spot, according to the Times.,/p>
New York City has nearly one million buildings, with more than 4,200 currently under construction.
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