NY National Guard Sent Into Subway So Commuters Feel Safe

(LibertySociety.com) – New York Democratic Governor Kathy Hochul announced on March 6 that the National Guard and state police officers would be deployed to New York City’s subway system to stop the rampant violent crime. The announcement was made the week after meeting with NYC Mayor Eric Adams, the NYPD, and officials from the Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA). Hochul is sending 750 National Guardsmen and 250 state police to conduct bag checks and to patrol “the city’s busiest train stations.”

Back in February, Adams added 1,000 more NYPD officers to help stop subway crime. He was noticeably absent from Hochul’s announcement. Subway crime has spiked over 18 percent in the first two months of the year as compared to last year. Hochul detailed her new plan, which includes five different actions that she believes will reduce transit crime. She is introducing legislation to amend a previous law that banned people convicted of transit wanton assault to include those who commit any type of assault. In addition, CCTV cameras will be installed in the subway and conductor cabins. The plan also included the improvement of coordination between local district attorneys and the NYPD to prevent recidivism.

Additionally, Hochul wants to spend $20 million on “teams of mental health workers” to assist people who may put themselves or others in danger on the city’s transit systems. The New York Post asked several commuters how they felt about the presence of the guardsmen. Most responded positively, saying that they felt safer. Some said they did not believe the guns were necessary, with one concerned that a criminal could steal the gun from a guardsman and start shooting people.

Just days after her announcement, Hochul banned the use of long guns by guardsmen conducting bag checks. However, others will still be carrying them in certain areas of the subway system. The same day as Hochul’s announcement, Adams posted on X, formerly Twitter, to report the reduction in violent crime for the month of February.