Stringer calls for overhaul of construction inspections

Manhattan borough president Scott Stringer has called for an interagency city task force to make surprise visits to construction sites, after a worker fell to this death at the Trump Soho tower Monday. “The way we’re doing this kind of inspection in these megabuildings is not working,” Stringer said. City officials said that after a fire at the former Deutsche Bank building killed two firefighters last August, construction inspectors have made more than 1,000 surprise visits. By March, 67 more inspectors are due to be hired. City Council Member Tony Avella said that the city should be empowered to tell construction companies that repeatedly violate codes: “That’s it, you’re done, find another kind of work.”