METRO DECISION DELAYED

Metro officials won't decide what to do about the people who tore down fences designed to keep the homeless out of four downtown subway stations until an investigation is finished, officials said yesterday.

"We won't decide what action to take until the investigation's over," said Metro spokeswoman Marilyn Dicus. "And that probably will be in the next couple of days." Dicus said transit officials also have to assess the damage and decide whether fences should be installed again.

Mitch Snyder, spokesman for the Community for Creative Non-Violence, an advocacy group for the homeless, held a news conference on Christmas to announce that his group was responsible for the damage at the Metro Center, McPherson Square, Farragut North and Farragut West subway stations.

The metal barriers were erected this year to prevent street people from sleeping in the stations. Snyder said the fences were forcing homeless people to stay outdoors when they could be taking shelter inside the enclosed station entrances.

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