New York tries to curb subway violence with more security and homeless sweeps
The heavily criticized measures have failed to prevent shootings and people being pushed onto the tracks
Nearly three million people ride the subway in New York City every day. It’s a massive rail system with over 470 stations and 6,500 train cars. Operating 24/7 (except for overnight closures for disinfection during the pandemic), these numbers are typical for a city with over eight million residents. Though the incidents are few considering its size, the dramatic recent violence has sparked safety concerns. There have been sporadic shootings on trains and passengers pushed onto tracks by people with untreated mental health conditions.
The New York subway is currently under scrutiny by authorities who reacted by deploying more police and National Guard soldiers for security. However, some incidents are more preventable than the sudden pushes that surveillance systems can’t predict. The New York City Transit Authority is testing scanners to detect weapons, and also plans to add sliding doors on subway platforms that open only when the train has come to a complete stop. However, these measures would only be feasible in 27% of its stations and would cost around $7 billion. The city’s peace of mind hangs in the balance, as does its reputation among the 60 million tourists that visit every year.
“I cross all of Manhattan on my way home, usually in the early hours, depending on my shift,” said Morris, a 28-year-old nurse. “I’ve seen it all on the trains, from a close call with a fentanyl overdose to knife fights and plenty of injuries. There are lots of stressed folks and homeless people not getting the psychiatric care they need, who could just snap at any time.” Like the person who recently pushed a 54-year-old man onto the tracks as the train was entering the station, one of the many such deaths in the past two years. “I never used to do this, but now on the platform, I always make sure to stay away from the edge of the tracks until the train comes. I try to stick close to the wall because I do feel scared, and I know I’m not the only one,” said Morris. The only thing Morris hasn’t seen is a subway car shootout, like the one a month ago that ended in a death. The shooter was not charged by the police, as it appeared to be a case of self-defense. The viral video made the New York subway look like a scene from a bad B movie.
A persistent problem in the New York subway is the many homeless people with mental health issues living in the stations. Another factor is the increase in gun permit applications by New Yorkers following a 2022 Supreme Court ruling that relaxed the state’s strict gun laws. Last year, New York received 13,369 gun permit applications, an 80% surge from 2022 and almost triple the 2019 number.
Soldiers in the subway
But the recent deployment of 750 National Guard soldiers to the subway and the forcible removal of homeless people — a controversial move by the mayor in late 2022 — appear to have had little effect so far. “I was more scared passing by armed soldiers than the actual possibility of a shootout,” said Anne Delmare in the Times Square station, one of the system’s central hubs. The deployment of National Guard soldiers alongside local police drew heavy criticism, leading Governor Kathy Hochul to prohibit them from carrying rifles while they search bags for weapons. “I always carry several bags and backpacks full of stuff for work. When I was searched, they were still carrying rifles and it was scary to see that up close,” said Delmare.
Local mental health services have struggled to take in and treat all the homeless people who were taken off the streets and sent there against their will. For example, the person who was accused of murder in the recent deadly incident had stayed in a special homeless shelter for people with mental health problems for months but never received any treatment. The city has 38 such centers with about 5,500 beds and an annual budget of $260 million. This is theoretically sufficient per the official 2022 census, which identified over 3,700 homeless individuals with mental health diagnoses, out of a total of 63,000.
The real numbers could be much higher than the official census count. Furthermore, activists and NGOs say this measure is a clear criminalization of the homeless and, even worse, of the mentally ill, who generally have a much higher likelihood of harming themselves than others. Adding to the problem is the huge influx of irregular migrants over the past two years, which makes it harder to find beds for everyone. An analysis of these specialized facilities revealed frequent violence and unruly behavior, as well as sporadic patient treatment and high suicide attempt rates.
Private hospitals have cut the number of beds in their psychiatric units to boost profits, while public ones are overwhelmed by the nearly 50,000 psychiatric patients they handle every year. In 2021, the NYC subway saw a spike in violent incidents with eight murders in 12 months. The following year was no better, with another deadly push onto the tracks making headlines. By January 2024, subway violence had surged by 47% over the previous year.
New York City is closely watched by other U.S. cities dealing with similar problems. Transportation worker unions in Chicago and Philadelphia have requested the deployment of the National Guard in their troubled systems, a measure rejected by local lawmakers. But putting soldiers in subways hasn’t done much to deter the violence anyway.
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