Indranil Kar
“These are not the droids you are looking for”- Obi-Wan “Ben” Kenobi
In Star Wars: Episode IV, A New Hope, we see the first-hand implementation of imperial militant forces in the form of stormtroopers and their interactions with those in the galactic empire. One of the memorable scenes of the film was the interaction between Obi-Wan Kenobi and some Stormtroopers (sandtroopers, if you are a nerd, iykyk) on the planet Tatooine. The empire sent the Stormtroopers to patrol checkpoints to find two droids (R2D2 and C3PO) that threatened the pursuit of their political agenda. Luckily, the protagonists of the film were able to use some clever Jedi mind tricks to thwart the fascist military and continue their epic journey across the galaxy.
Similarly, at the beginning of March, New York Governor Kathy Hochul(Evil Emperor) deployed 750 National Guard troops to patrol the New York City subway system. She announced that the armed National Guard troops will also be assisted by 250 members of the New York State Police and personnel from the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA). This announcement follows New York City Mayor Eric Adams’s deployment of an additional 1,000 NYPD officers(Candy Crush power-players) a month earlier in February. Hochul indicated that the deployment of these forces was part of a “five-point” plan to improve subway overall subway safety. Hochul stated at a press conference, “My five-point plan will rid our subways of violent offenders and protect all commuters and transit workers. I am sending a message to all New Yorkers: I will not stop working to keep you safe and restore your peace of mind whenever you walk through those turnstiles.” Members of the National Guard, MTAPD, and New York State Police will be conducting “random” bag checks at various checkpoints at high traffic subway stations such as Grand Central Station/Terminal and Penn Station. While an individual can refuse a bag search, the members of the NYPD, State Police, MTAPD, or National Guard can deny one’s access to public transportation. However, this is seen by many New Yorkers and civil rights advocates as an overreach of the state, infringing on our constitutional rights.
The increased police and military presence is the result of a perceived spike in major crimes occurring in the subway system since the start of 2024. There have also been several high-profile crimes that have negatively affected commuters and subway conductors. Major crimes are defined as grand larcenies, homicides, assaults, and robberies. In January, there was a 45% spike in major crimes when compared to January 2023. However, in February, major crime in the subway was down 15% from the previous year (February 2023). For March 2024, NYPD data illustrates that the overall rise in major crimes was 13%. However, the crime statistics of 2024 are not much different than the statistics of previous years. Since the increased police and military presence, around the same number of crimes are being committed on a daily basis. Overall, arrests in the subway system are up almost 53% compared to 2023.
Deploying troops in the subway will only increase the perception of crime in the city. One of the reasons why Governor Hochul and Mayor Adams have implemented an increase in security in the subway is to fend off concerns regarding crime ahead of the election in November. In 2022, Republicans found major success by centering their platform around cracking down on crime in the state. The heightened security and surveillance will likely increase the perception of crime in the subway system and the city as a whole. With the deployment of the National Guard, individuals will probably perceive taking public transportation as dangerous as well. Another reason for the use of the National Guard and increased security is to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic. The amount of people who use the subway is still significantly lower than how it was prior to the global pandemic.
Governor Hochul and Mayor Adams’s decision to increase security measures in the subway does not assist in addressing the real issues at hand in New York City, specifically the unhoused and mental health crisis. While Hochul said that mental health teams would respond to the “most severe cases of mental health crisis,” much more can be done by both the city and state. The money used to sufficiently pay and deploy the 1,000 personnel in the subways can be allocated to other services that address the root causes of crime. In 2023, just the NYPD’s budget alone was $10.8 billion. The mental health services or teams created in January 2024 to assist those in need only received $20 million in funding. If mental health services were expanded, properly trained, and sufficiently funded, crime statistics could be lowered in a more productive route.
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