Hochul to deploy National Guard to NYC subway to tackle crime spike

National Guard dispatched to fight subway crime

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul is sending the National Guard to the New York City subway system to help police search passengers’ bags for weapons. Wednesday's move follows a series of high-profile crimes in the system.

NEW YORK - Governor Kathy Hochul announced on Wednesday that she will be deploying around 1,000 National Guard members and State Police troopers to conduct random bag checks at some of the city’s busiest subway stations.

This will be on top of the thousand additional police officers Mayor Eric Adams deployed to the subways in February to combat transit crime and also conduct bag searches.

"There's a psychological impact," Governor Hochul said. "People worry they can be next."

Subway crime is up 13% compared to this same time period last year, with assaults on the transit system up 11%.

According to the NYPD, 2023 had a record number of subway assaults.

Mayor Eric Adams blamed primarily recidivists - saying that a small group is responsible for a majority of the crime.

Hochul has now also ordered that the NYPD and district attorneys to work together to flag repeat offenders when they are arrested.

"Thirty-eight people committed assaults on transit workers," Adams said on Good Day New York. "Out of those 38 people, they committed 1,126 crimes in our city— recidivism crisis."

Hochul is also proposing new legislation that would ban anyone from riding the subway if they have been convicted of a violent crime against another passenger.

This bill would need to pass the state legislature but so far is not something that lawmakers have been interested in taking up in the past.

"A judge will now have the power to make sure that for at least three years they'll have the ability to keep you off the subways," Hochul said about the bill.

Hochul also directed the MTA to install cameras in every single conductor cabin, as well as the platforms that face the cabins.

She is also allocating around $20 million in additional funding for mental health outreach teams.

Now according to the MTA, New Yorkers can refuse to have their bag checked but they would not be allowed to ride the subway.