The deaths this year include a window installer who fell ninestories when his safety strap failed, as well as the seven peoplewho were killed last month when a crane toppled, as GlobeSt.compreviously reported. In the latter case, a city inspector wasarrested and resigned after authorities said he falsely claimed hehad inspected the crane. At a City Council hearing last week,Lancaster admitted her department had improperly approved aconstruction permit for the building where the crane collapsed.

[IMGCAP(2)]"I don't think anybody should be fully satisfied withthe Department of Buildings," Bloomberg said at Monday'sconference. "Whether they've done everything they can or not issomething I'm looking at." Bloomberg did say, however, that thebuilding boom increases the chances that things will go wrong. "Ifthere's more construction, it makes common sense that you probablyhave more accidents or mistakes made, but that's not an excuse, andI'm looking into it."

In a prepared statement, Mayor Bloomerg says that "this morning,I met with Patricia Lancaster at Gracie Mansion and accepted herresignation." He notes that over the past six years, Lancaster hasmoved the D.O.B. a long way forward "by fighting corruption,strengthening inspections and oversight, increasing the public'saccess to information, and bringing increased levels ofprofessionalism and integrity to all levels of her agency."