New York Governor Kathy Hochul has announced the deployment of 750 National Guardsmen and 250 state troopers into the New York subway system to address the surge in violent crime. The move comes as a response to ongoing attacks, despite recent efforts by New York City Mayor Eric Adams to increase police presence by adding 1,000 officers to patrol subway platforms. However, the Transport Workers Union, which recently staged a brief work stoppage after a conductor was slashed, expressed dissatisfaction, emphasizing the need for a more permanent and robust solution.
Richard Davis, the president of Local 100 of the Transport Workers Union, insisted that the proposed surge “cannot be just a temporary measure” and must remain in place to ensure the safety of transit workers and commuters. The National Guard’s primary responsibility will be to check bags in the stations to prevent weapons from entering the subway platforms. Governor Hochul’s plan also includes allocating $20 million for mental health teams to assist individuals on the subway facing severe mental health crises.
However, not everyone supports the governor’s actions. Donna Lieberman, the executive director of the New York Civil Liberties Union, criticized the approach, claiming that it ignores long-standing issues such as homelessness, poverty, and access to mental health care. Despite concerns about the perception of danger, with three homicides and several brutal assaults reported since January, Hochul and Mayor Adams aim to address the crime issue that significantly impacted New York Democrats in the 2022 elections.
While some New Yorkers express reservations about the additional security measures, citing their prior sense of safety, others argue that the perceived fear is based on real incidents of violence. The delicate balance between maintaining public safety and addressing the root causes of crime remains a challenge for New York’s leaders, who are navigating public sentiment while attempting to prevent a recurrence of the crime-related electoral backlash experienced in 2022.
