Edited by: Fern Sidman

In response to growing concerns about subway safety in New York City, Governor Kathy Hochul announced on Wednesday that hundreds of National Guard soldiers and State Police officers would begin patrolling subway platforms and conducting bag checks starting this week, according to a New York Times report on Wednesday. The heightened security measures aim to reassure commuters and visitors, fostering a sense of safety within the city’s transit system.

Governor Hochul emphasized the importance of this show of force, noting that it would contribute to making commuters and visitors feel safer while navigating the subway system. The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA), the state agency responsible for operating the subway, will collaborate with law enforcement to implement these measures effectively.

“Subway safety is a constant concern in New York City,” Governor Hochul remarked, acknowledging that the system’s recovery is crucial for the city’s overall rebound from the pandemic, as was reported by the NYT. She emphasized that public officials are sensitive not only to the perception of mass transit as dangerous but also to any actual rise in crime within the subway system.

Mayor Eric Adams has also taken proactive steps to address subway safety concerns, ordering an additional 1,000 officers to patrol the subways in February following a concerning 45 percent spike in major crimes compared to the same period last year, according to the information provided in the NYT report. Grand larcenies, categorized as thefts without the use of force, were identified as a significant contributor to this increase, alongside homicides, assaults, and robberies.

While crime rates saw a slight decline in February, data from the Police Department indicates an overall 13 percent rise in major crimes as of March 3 compared to the previous year, the NYT report said.

The deployment of 1,000 members of the State Police, National Guard, and transportation authority to conduct bag checks in the city’s busiest subway stations demonstrates a concerted effort to enhance security measures. These additional security personnel are expected to be visible in the subway system during the evening rush hour, ensuring a visible presence to deter criminal activity.

Governor Hochul clarified that while riders have the right to refuse bag checks, officers may deny them access to the subway in such cases, as was noted in the NYT report. However, she declined to specify the duration of these measures, citing concerns about tipping off potential criminals.

The timing of this announcement coincides with efforts by Democrats to address crime concerns ahead of the November election, particularly after Republicans capitalized on the issue to secure victories in congressional races across the state in 2022, the NYT report indicated.  .

“These brazen heinous attacks on our subway system will not be tolerated,” Governor Hochul stated firmly, highlighting the severity of recent incidents and the government’s commitment to ensuring the safety of subway passengers, as per the report in the NYT.

Governor Hochul’s announcement was swiftly followed by yet another disturbing incident, as a female conductor on a southbound No. 4 train reported being hit with a glass bottle near the 170th Street station in the Bronx. The NYT said that while the assailant fled the scene, the conductor was fortunately in stable condition.

The governor’s announcement has elicited mixed reactions from various quarters. Civil libertarians have expressed concerns about potential infringements on commuters’ rights, viewing the move as an overreach. However, the report in the NYT pointed out that the union representing the city’s transit workers has welcomed the initiative, referring to it as “the beginning of real action” to address safety concerns.

Richard Davis, president of Local 100 of the Transport Workers Union, acknowledged the significance of the governor’s plan but emphasized that it must go further to ensure sustained safety within the subway system. “We will not be pacified,” Davis declared, according to the NYT. He stressed the importance of maintaining the surge in security personnel as a permanent measure rather than a temporary solution.

Under Governor Hochul’s plan, 750 members of the New York National Guard, along with an additional 250 personnel from the State Police and the M.T.A., will be strategically deployed across the transit system, the NYT report said. Collaborating closely with the New York Police Department, their primary focus will be on preventing weapons from entering the subway system.

Governor Hochul emphasized the importance of instilling confidence in subway commuters, stating, “No one heading to their job or to visit family or go to a doctor appointment should worry that the person sitting next to them possesses a deadly weapon.”

She also focused on the importance of the National Guard’s role in patrolling major transportation hubs, including Grand Central Terminal, Pennsylvania Station, and the Port Authority Bus Terminal. As was indicated in the NYT report, following the October 7th attacks on Israel, heightened security measures were implemented, with the Guard stepping in to patrol the subways as officials remained vigilant for any potential terrorism threats.

The deployment of the National Guard forms part of Governor Hochul’s broader strategy, which also includes allocating $20 million to fund 10 teams of mental health workers dedicated to assisting individuals within the subway system. The report in the NYT added that these teams, established in January, are tasked with addressing severe cases of mental health crises and facilitating access to treatment and housing through social services.

However, Donna Lieberman, executive director of the New York Civil Liberties Union, expressed concerns regarding the governor’s approach. Lieberman criticized the emphasis on heavy-handed tactics, suggesting that they may lead to profiling of Black and Latino individuals, the NYT reported. She highlighted the failure of Governor Hochul’s announcement to address systemic issues such as homelessness, poverty, and access to mental health care, which lie at the root of subway safety concerns.

Despite the governor’s intentions, some commuters voiced discomfort with the idea of police and Guardsmen conducting bag checks. According to the NYT report, April Glad, a 62-year-old commuter, dismissed the policies as fear mongering, asserting that she rarely feels afraid while riding the subway across Manhattan, Brooklyn, the Bronx, and Queens. Glad’s sentiments reflect a skepticism among some New Yorkers regarding the necessity and effectiveness of heightened security measures.

Governor Hochul’s plan also includes proposed legislative measures aimed at enhancing subway safety. These measures would empower judges to prohibit individuals convicted of violent crimes from riding the subways, the installation of cameras in train conductors’ control booths, and collaboration with prosecutors to track repeat offenders, the report in the NYT said. However, the success of these proposals hinges on approval from the State Legislature.

Chris Jackson, a longtime New Yorker, expressed apprehension at the idea of additional law enforcement patrols in the subway. “I mean, we already have the N.Y.P.D. going around,” he remarked, the NYT reported. “I just feel like it’s going too far. Where does it stop?” Jackson’s sentiments echo concerns about the potential overreach of security measures and their impact on civil liberties.

Conversely, Julia Mercurio, a tourist from Poland, offered a contrasting perspective based on her experiences in European cities. Mercurio noted that heavy security and bag checks are commonplace in metro stations abroad, suggesting that such measures may contribute to a greater sense of safety for commuters. “It seems more protected than here from what I’ve seen, so I guess it makes sense to have random bag checks,” she remarked, as was reported by the NYT.

Statistics paint a nuanced picture of subway safety in New York City. A New York Times analysis revealed that in mid-2022, there was approximately one violent crime for every one million rides on the subway, making the likelihood of falling victim to such crimes remote. However, recent incidents, including three homicides and several brutal assaults, have reignited concerns about safety despite an overall decrease in major crimes compared to pre-pandemic levels.

The reduction in major crimes within the transit system contrasts with a decline in subway ridership since before the pandemic. The NYT report said that before COVID-19, the subway saw approximately five million daily riders, a number that has since decreased to around three million, according to M.T.A. figures. The decrease in ridership coupled with increased law enforcement presence raises questions about the balance between ensuring safety and avoiding potential over-policing of public spaces.

Mayor Eric Adams has expressed a desire to see an “omnipresence” of police officers in the subways as the city continues its recovery from the pandemic. However, his absence from Governor Hochul’s recent announcement marks a departure from previous joint announcements on public safety measures, as was pointed out in the NYT report. The mayor’s absence underscores potential tensions or differences in approach between city and state leadership on addressing subway safety concerns.

A clash of approaches between Governor Kathy Hochul and Mayor Eric Adams has emerged in response to concerns over subway safety in New York City. Hochul, seeking to address the issue, has offered the deployment of the National Guard and state police as an alternative to Adams’ proposal of utilizing NYPD overtime for increased subway patrols,  the report added. The divergent strategies have sparked debate among officials and transit experts regarding the most effective means of ensuring public safety in the transit system.

Despite Hochul’s invitation, Mayor Adams was unable to attend the governor’s announcement due to a scheduling conflict, according to a spokesman for Hochul. Adams, who made several media appearances on Wednesday morning, was reportedly attending a funeral, as stated by his spokesman.

Adams has been vocal in pressing Hochul to allocate additional state funds to cover NYPD overtime for increased subway patrols. However, Hochul has not acceded to the mayor’s request, instead offering the National Guard and state police as an alternative solution. “Rather than having the N.Y.P.D. have to work being paid by state dollars, I said, let me do something even better,” Hochul asserted during her announcement, according to the NYT report.

During media interviews, Mayor Adams and Michael Kemper, the chief of the transit division for the Police Department, emphasized the role of repeat offenders in subway crimes. Adams pointed to statistics indicating that 38 individuals accused of assaulting transit employees last year had also been linked to over 1,100 other crimes. “We don’t have a surge in crime. We have a surge in recidivism,” Adams asserted, as was reported by the NYT. He highlighted the need for targeted interventions to address repeat offending.

However, transit experts have expressed concerns about the potential impact of heightened security measures on subway riders. Danny Pearlstein, a spokesman for the Riders Alliance, a transit advocacy group, cautioned that deploying troops to the subway may exacerbate the perception of crime and increase rider fear. “The police can’t solve every problem,” Pearlstein emphasized, as was noted in the NYT report, underscoring the need for holistic approaches to address underlying social issues impacting subway safety.

The differing approaches advocated by Hochul and Adams reflect broader debates over the role of law enforcement and community-based interventions in addressing public safety concerns. As New York City continues its efforts to enhance subway safety, the effectiveness of these strategies will undoubtedly be scrutinized, with implications for future approaches to addressing crime and ensuring public trust in the transit system.