Hochul deploys another 250 National Guard troops to patrol NYC subways

Gov. Kathy Hochul announced Thursday she is increasing the number of National Guard troops stationed in New York City subways from 750 to 1,000.

The move is designed to deter crime and make riders feel safer, she said at a news conference at Grand Central Terminal.

"Last March, I stood with Mayor Adams and promised to do everything we could in our power to make our subway safer and to deliver on that promise," she said.

Hochul first deployed 750 members of the National Guard in March.

While they do not have the power to arrest, they have been assisting law enforcement with bag checks at subway entrances to busy stations.

The decision comes amid a wave of high-profile crimes on the subways, some involving people suffering mental health episodes.

Hochul justified her decision on Thursday by citing a decrease of 10% in subway crime since the National Guard was initially introduced in March.

"A lot of people didn’t think it would make a difference. It made an extraordinary difference," the governor said.

According to the NYPD, there were 2,002 major felonies on subways from January through November this year, compared with 2,084 during the same period last year — a decrease of 4%, slightly below pre-pandemic levels. But there were 521 felony assaults in the first 11 months of this year — lower than 529 in the first 11 months of last year, but still the second-highest number for any year since 1997. There were nine murders this year; that ties with 2022 for most murders in the first 11 months of any year since 1997.

MTA CEO Janno Lieber said in addition to 15,000 cameras installed at stations, the MTA now has cameras installed in every subway car, which aid police in solving cases.

He said the deployment of additional National Guard troops goes in tandem with the deployment of Subway Co-Response Outreach teams, which pair mental health clinicians with MTA police to move mentally ill people out of the subway system.

“[Riders] tell us ... they want to see more cops and more uniform personnel in the system. That is what makes them feel safe, and the actions the governor is taking reinforce that," Lieber said.

Danny Pearlstein, a spokesman for the Riders’ Alliance, questioned the need for more National Guard troops at subway entrances.

"We agree with the governor that the subway should be safe, welcoming and inclusive for everyone, but ... what we consistently hear from transit riders and transit workers alike is the focus of safety should be on the platforms and on the train. The turnstiles is a different matter entirely," he said.