New York Governor Kathy Hochul announced the completion of a project to install security cameras in every single subway car in the city, stating that it will help police fight and solve crimes even faster. This comes after a surge in violent crime incidents on the New York City subway system, including a homeless woman being burned alive by an illegal immigrant and a man being pushed in front of an approaching subway.
Hochul, a Democrat, also deployed 1,000 National Guard members to patrol the subway and emphasized that public safety is her top priority. She claimed credit for directing the state-run Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) to install cameras in subway cars and said that the project has now been completed.
The governor also pointed to a failure to provide treatment to people with serious mental illness as a contributing factor to the crisis on the subways. She proposed legislation to change New York’s laws governing the involuntary commitment of dangerous mentally unstable individuals, stating that current laws are insufficient.
However, critics, including activist Curtis Sliwa, founder of the Guardian Angels, are accusing Hochul of being weak on protecting New Yorkers and failing to address the root causes of the violence. Sliwa called on the governor to “lever her power” and push for stronger legislation to commit emotionally disturbed individuals to state psychiatric hospitals.
New York Council member Joe Borelli, a Republican, also blamed Democrats for instituting soft-on-crime policies that have resulted in more violence in the city. He called for a review of the state’s bail reform and “raise the age” laws, which he claims have contributed to the increase in criminal behavior.
The announcement of the completed security camera project and the governor’s plans to address the crisis on the subways have been met with criticism from some, who say that more needs to be done to ensure public safety in the city.
