When was the last time you spotted a police officer on the subway?
“I can’t really remember. Not too recently,” subway rider Arthur Kaplan said.
On Monday night, a significant shift occurred. Governor Kathy Hochul’s new plan saw the deployment of the first batch of 100 additional NYPD police officers to patrol inside the trains. These officers wasted no time in getting to work, marking the beginning of a new era in subway security.
By the end of the month, there will be 300 cops on duty, ensuring that every overnight subway train will have two police officers on board. This initiative is part of the ongoing efforts to enhance public safety.
“I actually was on a car going to Queens last week, and there were two officers on the train. So it was kind of relieving. It was actually a relief, to be honest. It was very, really,” Arwa Zegler said.
Last week, Hochul made an announcement to ensure that all commuters feel safe and secure while using public transportation. In an effort to achieve this, the state has allocated $77 million for overtime pay to hire an additional 750 NYPD officers. These officers will be assigned to train lines, stations, and hubs that have experienced higher crime rates. The deployment of these officers will be from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m., and this initiative will be implemented over the course of the next six months.
“We’re not doing anything with any of the police officers in the system. This is to add on top of that,” Hochul said.
Almost 150 trains operate during the night, with a dedicated two-officer patrol assigned to each train.
Riders expressed their enthusiasm for the new development during an interview with Eyewitness News on Monday night.
“At least at night we’ll know that things will be safer,” said Teresa, a subway rider. “And they just need more places with people with mental illness to be able live in and take their medicine and things like that. Because we need more help for people with mental illness here.”
There is growing concern about subway safety due to recent high-profile crimes. For instance, one incident involved a 45-year-old man being pushed in front of an oncoming train on New Year’s Eve. Another shocking incident involved a woman being set on fire while on a train. These incidents have raised alarm bells about the safety of subway systems.
According to Hochul, data suggests that subway riders are most fearful during the overnight hours, although these concerns did not arise overnight.
“Even in the daytime, I try to travel in the car with the conductor just because I feel like it’s a little safer. I’d rather take the bus because it’s so scary to be here on the train,” Zegler said.
According to Hochul, there will be a significant increase in enforcement and priority given to thirty subway stations that are responsible for 50% of the crime in the transit system.
Mayor Eric Adams emphasized the significance of having two officers on every subway train at night in an interview with Eyewitness News. He stated that the presence of the police officers in their blue uniforms brings comfort to the passengers.
