New York Governor Kathy Hochul has revealed a new plan to deploy 750 National Guard members in a desperate attempt to combat the rampant crimes plaguing New York City’s subway system.
On Wednesday, Hochul announced a new five-point plan that will deploy 750 National Guard members, 250 New York State officers, and additional MTA officers to curve the uptick in crime happening regularly at Subway Stations in New York City.
Hochul’s new order adds to the 1,000 NYPD officers already stationed at subway stations across NYC’s five boroughs.
NYPD Transit Chief Michael Kemper revealed that arrests in the NYC subway system are up 45% from 2023.
Chief Kemper also shared that there have been over 3,000 arrests in the subway system in just the first two months of 2024.
Per ABC 7 News:
Governor Kathy Hochul revealed a five-point plan Wednesday to bring additional state resources to bear on combatting subway crime in New York City.
The plan includes the deployment of 750 National Guard members and 250 New York State and MTA police officers into the subway system, and additional teams to handle cases involving people exhibiting signs of mental illness.
The new deployment adds to the additional 1000 NYPD officers ordered into the subway last month to conduct bag checks and follows the slashing of a conductor and other high profile crimes.
Hochul is also calling for people deemed to be too dangerous by a judge to be banned from the subway. She is pushing for a state law that allows judges to block a person from riding the subway or buses for three years if they are convicted of attacking a passenger.
In the press conference, Hochul made no mention of U.S. Marine vet Daniel Penny, who was charged with second-degree manslaughter after placing Jordan Neely in a chokehold for threatening people on a New York City subway train, resulting in Neely’s death.
Penny’s arrest has led many New Yorkers to stop helping those who have been victims of a crime due to fear of being charged with a crime themselves.
