New York Gov. Kathy Hochul’s safety initiative to stymie crime on the New York City subways and protect passengers has been met with unexpected criticism from some Democrats and officials who feel her plan is counterproductive.
Hochul, a Democrat, recently announced a five-point subway safety plan following several recent attacks.
Alfredo Troche Jr. received eight stitches on his hand after being stabbed at a Bronx subway station on Thursday, hours after Hochul announced the plan.
Troche told CBS News New York that “she (Hochul) has to deploy, either National Guard … it’s an epidemic.”
In fact, Hochul’s plan is to add police overtime pay and deploy the National Guard and mental illness outreach programs.
In a press release, she touted the plan will “rid our subways of violent offenders and protect all commuters and transit workers,” noting that “since taking office, I have been laser-focused on driving down subway crime and protecting New Yorkers.”
However, a top New York Police official has said Hochul’s plan, which also involves deploying 1,000 officers from the New York State Police, doesn’t address the root causes of crime in the subway system.
John Chell, the department’s chief of patrol, posted a lengthy message on X following Hochul’s announcement, claiming transit crime is down 12 percent “in the last five weeks because of extra cops deployed, a planned commitment by” his department and New York City Mayor Eric Adams.
Just last week, Adams announced an order to boost security protocols to keep weapons and guns off of trains, including adding more police officers and re-instituting bag checks. “Our transit system is not a ‘war’ zone!” Chell said, adding that the governor’s idea to implement bag checks wasn’t anything new and has “been around since 2005.”
Chell proposed his own solution, advocating for state leaders to focus on repealing or revising criminal justice…
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