National Guard deployed in the subway after violent incidents
The governor sent troops and state police into the transit system to check bags, a move that drew both support and criticism.
Governor Kathy Hochul deployed National Guard troops and state police into New York City's subway system this spring, ordering them to conduct random bag checks at busy stations in response to a string of violent incidents that had alarmed riders and dominated headlines.
The deployment of around a thousand uniformed personnel was intended to reassure anxious commuters and deter crime in the system, which, despite being statistically safe relative to its enormous ridership, had been shaken by several high-profile attacks.
The sight of camouflage-clad soldiers in the stations drew a mixed response. Some riders welcomed the added security and said it made them feel safer, while civil liberties groups and some local officials questioned the effectiveness and optics of deploying military troops into the daily commute, and worried about the message it sent.
Critics argued that the move addressed perception more than reality, and that the money might be better spent on mental health services, outreach to homeless riders and more reliable service. Supporters countered that visible security was a reasonable response to genuine public fear.
The deployment underscored the central place of subway safety in the city's politics, and the pressure on officials to respond to the anxieties of riders even as overall crime data told a more complicated story. It became another flashpoint in the ongoing debate over how to keep the system, and the city, safe.