Governor Kathy Hochul of New York declared that during this holiday season, hundreds of National Guard members are now stationed to monitor the New York City subway.
During a press briefing, Hochul mentioned that 750 National Guard members and 250 Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) Police officers have been deployed to ensure the safety of New York City’s train stations.
“Through the feedback I’ve received, it is evident that the presence of the National Guard has had both a physical and psychological impact on people’s sense of safety,” asserted Hochul. “The sight of individuals in uniform, including our own National Guard, has instilled a greater sense of security among the public.”
Hochul previously unveiled her five-point subway safety plan in March, when she deployed 750 members of the National Guard to assist the New York Police Department (NYPD) with bag searches at entrances to busy train stations.
Members of the NYPD and National Guard conduct randomized bag searches in New York City’s subway system in March. (Matthew McDermott for Fox News Digital)
The decision comes as New York City officials continue to fight violent crime in the Big Apple. Earlier in December, an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) report found that, in New York City alone, there are 58,000 illegal migrants who are convicted of or facing criminal charges.
Of the 58,626 criminal migrants, 1,153 are “suspected or known gang members,” the report added.
Hochul previously received criticism for the move to add National Guard members to the subways. On an episode of “Outnumbered,” Fox News co-host Emily Compagno called the move “too little, too late.”
A couple of heavily armed New York National Guard soldiers patrol Grand Central Terminal in New York City. Gov. Kathy Hochul is sending the National Guard to the New York City subway system to help police search passengers’ bags for weapons. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer)
“I remember on her first day of office when she sent a letter to [Manhattan] D.A. Alvin Bragg… when she said basically ship up or shape out, and then nothing,” the “Outnumbered” co-host argued. “So if safety really was a priority for her, then why can we rewind or can’t we rewind to go back and have her implement and enforce those policies back then? Why didn’t she remove him from office? And now we have to put National Guardsmen in place.”
Fox News Digital’s Bradford Betz and Michael Lee contributed to this report.
