New York City’s subway system is about to see more police on its platforms and train cars as Governor Kathy Hochul ramps up security following recent violent attacks that have shaken riders.
The governor will work with Mayor Eric Adams to create a police presence on every overnight subway train during the next six months, an initiative that will be funded from the state’s coffers, Hochul announced Tuesday during her annual State of the State speech in Albany. She didn’t cite a cost of the effort.
‘We will put an officer on every single train, overnight’
“I want to see uniformed police on the platforms, but more importantly, we will put an officer on every single train, overnight — 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. — over the next six months and the state will support these efforts financially,” Hochul said in her prepared remarks.
The latest surge in policing on the nation’s largest mass-transit system comes after recent stabbings on the subway, people being pushed onto train tracks and a horrific incident in December where a woman died after being set on fire. There were 10 murders on the subway last year, double the figure from 2023, according to New York Police Department data. The number of reported felony assaults soared to 573, the most since at least 1997.
Hochul is also directing the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, which oversees the city’s subways, buses and commuter rail lines, to install additional platform barriers in 100 stations to stop people from falling or being pushed onto tracks, more lighting to brighten up dark stations and updated fare gates to prevent riders from skipping the fare.
{{/usCountry}}Hochul is also directing the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, which oversees the city’s subways, buses and commuter rail lines, to install additional platform barriers in 100 stations to stop people from falling or being pushed onto tracks, more lighting to brighten up dark stations and updated fare gates to prevent riders from skipping the fare.
{{/usCountry}}