NEW YORK (1010 WINS) — Gov. Kathy Hochul alongside MTA Chair and CEO Janno Lieber announced on Wednesday that 250 additional National Guard members will be sent into the New York City subway system, joining the initial 750 members who were deployed in March.
During Hochul’s initial subway crime crackdown, 250 officers from the New York State Police and the MTA Police were also deployed, in an effort to put more uniformed officers into the transit system and join National Guard members in conducting more random bag checks. These resources were added as part of a joint taskforce known as “Empire Shield,” which was put in place in 2001 to protect the subway system, NYC assets and city streets as a counterterrorism measure.
The late winter rush of authorities into the subway “made an extraordinary difference,” Hochul said, stating that overall crime has dropped 10% in the system since March. The governor also noted that overall crime in the system is at a record low, with only two years since 1970 yielding fewer crimes in the subway than it saw in 2024.
When asked why she chose to deploy additional resources from the National Guard—who do not have the jurisdiction to execute arrests—as opposed to NYS Police or MTA Police, Hochul said that she is “very proud to be governor of a state where I have at my disposal the National Guard to use in places where I think they’re most beneficial to protect the people of this state.”
The governor added that her decision last March had the desired effect of reducing crime, while instilling a sense of safety into the public.
“The presence of [the] National Guard has made not just a physical difference, but a psychological difference in how they feel about safety,” Hochul said.
Officials used the press conference to draw a correlation between the drop in crime and increased ridership, with last Thursday hitting the single day post-pandemic record at 4.5 million riders.
Lieber thanked Hochul for her cooperation and partnership with the MTA, and pointed to additional public safety help that Albany has levied the transit authority, including the expansion of subway cameras.
“Not only do we have 15,000 cameras in stations, but now, thanks to Governor Hochul, we have a camera in every single subway car, and the caliber of the video is extraordinary,” Lieber said.
According to the MTA Chair, the transit authority consistently hears among “every demographic, every neighborhood, every income level” of riders that they want more police and more uniformed personnel in the subway system to ease their peace of mind.
Pointing to increased ridership since the initial deployment of Empire Shield task members, Lieber said: “That’s proof that the vibe that has been created about the subway being safer is making a difference in riders’ minds, so let’s celebrate that.”