New York will deploy soldiers and new police reinforcements to secure its subway, used every day by millions of workers and tourists. This decision follows a series of violent incidents which have left their mark in the American megalopolis.
Democratic Governor of New York State Kathy Hochul notably announced that 750 members of the National Guard would be deployed in New York’s gigantic transportation network, which has more than 400 stations.
They will be added to the numbers of the New York Police Force (NYPD), already clearly visible on the platforms and in the corridors of the metropolis of the megacity, an initiative decided shortly after taking office in early 2022 by the mayor of the city, Democrat and former police officer Eric Adams.
Governor Kathy Hochul announced Wednesday at a press conference a strengthening of security measures in the New York subway. [AFP – TIMOTHY A. CLARY]
The metro scene of violence
Since the start of the year, several violent incidents have taken place in the metro. On February 12, shots fired in a station in the Bronx and attributed to a rivalry between gangs left one person dead, a 34-year-old man, and five injured. At the end of February, a subway conductor was also stabbed in a Brooklyn station.
In recent days, a man was also pushed onto the tracks and other attacks occurred.
The number of serious crimes in the transport network jumped by almost 50% in January compared to the same month in 2023.
Bags checked
The deployment of National Guard soldiers will notably aim to help the New York police strengthen checks of passengers’ bags in the busiest stations.
Kathy Hochul also promised the deployment of additional video surveillance cameras and announced the plan to more easily prohibit access to the metro for people convicted of assaulting a transport system employee.
afp/ami
2024-03-06 21:45:26
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