NYPD officers on overnight subway trains start on Monday
NEW YORK (WABC) -- Starting Monday, two NYPD police officers will be on every overnight subway train as officials work to improve public safety.
Governor Hochul announced the plan last week in her State of the State address. The change is to bolster security on mass transit for the next 6 months.
The $77 million strategy will put 750 more police officers on platforms and in stations and 300 more officers on overnight trains.
"We've doubled the number of law enforcement personnel in the New York City subway system in one year," Hochul said.
The governor said most of the crimes committed in the subway system occur during overnight hours.
"There is a lot of anxiety on these trains late at night. I want to tamper that down," Hochul said.
At her State of the State address, Gov. Hochul gave a brief outline of the proposed six-month initiative that would ramp up patrols between 9 p.m. and 5 a.m.
It's part of her five-point plan, which includes brighter lighting and barriers on platforms, a crackdown on fare evasion with new, modern gates, expanding homeless outreach at end-of-line stations, and getting people with serious mental illness off the system and into care.
Hochul had said that most crimes happen overnight and added patrols would be in addition to the National Guardsmen redeployed into the transit system.
Thirty subway stations that account for 50% of crime in the transit system would also see ramped-up enforcement and be prioritized.
Mayor Eric Adams told Eyewitness News that the move to have two officers on every subway train at night "so important," calling the omnipresence of the blue uniform as a comfort to passengers.
An NYPD spokesperson released a statement saying,
"The NYPD will be rolling out the ambitious plan to put two officers on every overnight train in phases. Phase 1 will officially begin on Monday and include the first 100 officers. Additional phases will be rolled out over the coming weeks with the expectation that the full operation will be complete by the end of the month. This is a massive undertaking that involves specialized training as well as logistics and resource management. We appreciate the governor's support in keeping New Yorkers safe."
ALSO READ: Mayor Eric Adams announces $650M investment to get homeless people off the streets of NYC
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