Ahead of the holidays, Governor Kathy Hochul briefed New Yorkers alongside Metropolitan Transportation Authority CEO Janno Leiber and law enforcement officials on continuing efforts to increase safety within the subway system for all riders. Since announcing a robust five-point subway safety plan in March of this year, crime within the New York City Transit system is down 10 percent. Since January 2021, subway crime is down a total of 42 percent while ridership in the system has increased 148 percent. As part of this continued effort to make the subway system safer for riders, Governor Hochul has directed an additional 250 members of the New York National Guard to be deployed to Joint Task Force – Empire Shield. The Governor also announced that the MTA has installed 15,396 security cameras which are now included in 100 percent of all subway cars.
“Earlier this year, I promised to make our subways safer for the millions of people who take the trains each day, and today we are continuing our efforts by putting more National Guard members on the ground and installing security cameras on every car,” Governor Hochul said. “By working hand-in-hand with the MTA and New York City, we are deterring crime, making it safer for all riders and restoring public confidence in the system.”
