New York City residents using the subway system were met with a heightened police presence on Thursday morning, including the deployment of the National Guard and State Police for random bag checks. This increased security measure comes after recent reports of violent incidents in the subway system, including assaults on passengers and transit workers. One such incident occurred in the Bronx, where a 53-year-old man was stabbed at the Pelham Parkway station while defending an elderly woman from harassment.
In response to the rising crime in the subway system, Governor Kathy Hochul announced the deployment of the National Guard and State Police to assist the NYPD in conducting random bag checks. The governor’s five-point safety plan also includes measures such as installing security cameras in conductor cabins and expanding mental health outreach. Mayor Eric Adams emphasized that the bag searches would be random and not based on profiling, aiming to proactively address safety concerns among riders.
City officials did not disclose specific locations for the bag checks, but sources from City Hall suggested that the NYPD would dispatch screening teams to approximately one-third of the subway stations. While the New York Civil Liberties Union criticized the bag checks as heavy-handed, transit leaders expressed hope that the governor’s plan would be a long-term solution rather than a temporary one, possibly using the state’s surplus to extend enforcement efforts.
Meanwhile, police are still searching for suspects in the latest stabbing incident, urging anyone with information to contact the NYPD’s Crime Stoppers hotline. As the city grapples with subway safety concerns, residents and officials alike are closely monitoring the impact of these security measures in ensuring the well-being of passengers and transit workers.