New York Governor Kathy Hochul said Wednesday she would deploy the state’s National Guard troops and police onto the New York City subway after upticks in violent incidents on the network serving the United States’ largest metropolis.
“Governor Hochul is deploying 1,000 members of State personnel to assist the NYPD’s mission… This includes 250 members from the New York State Police and the (transit police),” a statement from her office said.
She is also “directing the National Guard to make the 750 members currently deployed on Joint Task Force Empire Shield available to supplement this effort,” it added.
The personnel would flood the network to assist with patrols, bag checks alongside a new program to ban violent passengers.
In recent weeks there have been a number of deadly shootings, as well as incidents involving knives and passengers being pushed onto the tracks.
Major crime was up almost 50 percent in the subway system in January, compared to the same period in 2023.
In response there has been a markedly increased deployment of armed New York City police onto the network with the mayor ordering an additional 1,000 NYPD officers onto the system last month.
“The service members of the New York National Guard are always ready to assist our partners as they ensure the safety and security of our fellow citizens,” said the force’s commander Major General Ray Shields in Hochul’s statement.
On February 12, one person was killed and five others injured in a shooting at a New York subway station just ahead of the busy rush hour.
Officials later blamed the incident on rival groups of youths.
