NEW YORK — Facing a significant increase in crimes on New York City public transit, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul and New York City Mayor Eric Adams on Saturday announced plans to put more police officers on trains and station platforms, as well as moves to address issues for individuals with serious mental illness.
“Our expanded subway safety strategy of Cops, Cameras, and Care will crack down on subway crime, help those experiencing homelessness get the support they need to get out of the system, and alleviate concerns of riders to ensure New Yorkers feel safer throughout the subway system,” Hochul said in a press conference at the Grand Central/42nd Street subway station.
The state will fund overtime shifts for about 1,200 additional police officers per day, the website Gothamist reports. Those officers will be present on platforms at more than 300 stations and on trains. And Metropolitan Transportation Authority Police will be deployed at four major commuter rail hubs — Penn Station, Grand Central, Atlantic Terminal, and Jamaica — freeing up about 100 NYPD officers for deployment at other locations on trains and in stations.
“The bottom line is that riders will see more officers in the system, and so will those thinking of breaking the law,” Adams said. “On behalf of all New Yorkers, we’re thankful for this state investment that will make our subways safer.”
Hochul has also ordered the New York State Office of Mental Health to open of two new 25-bed inpatient facilities to address homeless individuals who are sheltering in the subway system and suffering from severe mental illness, as well as expanded crisis intervention training for police and medical first responders to deal with homeless individuals and understand the statutory authority to transport individuals in need of a psychiatric evaluation.
Saturday’s moves follow an earlier announcement of plans to put security cameras in every car in the New York City Transit subway fleet [see “New York City to install security cameras …,” Trains News Wire, Sept. 21, 2022], but completing that program for the 2,700-car fleet will take until 2025.
“Subway ridership has surged since Labor Day, and we remain focused on growing rider confidence through increased deployment of uniformed officers, cameras installed in every subway car, and further progress on quality-of-life issues,” MTA CEO Janno Lieber said. “The MTA is grateful to Governor Hochul and Mayor Adams for their leadership and commitment to the subways.”
Nine homicides have been reported in the subway system so far in 2022, Gothamist reports, while overall reports of transit crimes to New York City police have increased by 40% over last year.
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