Mixed Feelings About National Guard in Subways

“Sorry passengers, due to an ongoing police investigation…the train will be shortly delayed,” has become a normal message heard by subway riders. The ongoing crime in the New York City subways has caused delays, disruptions and aggravated New Yorkers. 

In March Governor Kathy Hochul, in response to New Yorkers’ concerns, deployed over 750 National Guard troops into New York City subway stations. Some riders had strong reactions. “I think it’s bullshit,” said local Stephane Scully as they caught the G train to head to work. “It’s impossible to look at someone and determine if they’re a threat or not.” 

The influx of the National Guard came as crime began to drop in the subways. In March it was down 15.4%, according to the NYPD. Yet New Yorkers worry. The subway is like a second home to many of us. We use the subway to take us to and from work, school, and many other places. We befriend people on the train, do our homework, finish projects, and even sometimes take well-deserved naps. I do it frequently. Bringing in the National Guard felt unfriendly, even though we worry.

We also worry about the wrong people getting arrested. Tamia Seenath, a commuter who frequently takes the 2 train,  pointed to the risk of racial profiling. “This is just another situation where they are failing to consider the repercussions for people of color,” she said. “The only crime in their eyes is our skin color,” she exclaimed emphatically. The statistics support her concern. Data from the New York Civil Liberties Union found that reports of stop and frisk show 16,971 stops were recorded by the NYPD in 2023. No arrests were made in 68 percent of the cases, but Black and Latinx New Yorkers made up the majority of those stopped. 

Yet violent crimes on the subway stand out.  On March 14 after the deployment of the National Guard, a shooting on the northbound A train at the Hoyt-Schermerhorn station ended with one man in the hospital in critical condition. Although there is a fully equipped police unit within the station, 36-year-old Duane Robinson boarded a packed train with a loaded gun and a knife  He allegedly began an argument with Youncee Obad, 32. Witnesses said that Robinson was screaming at Obad and the two began to circle each other. Robinson pummeled Obad, and a woman apparently stabbed Robinson trying to get him to stop. Witnesses told police that Robinson took out a gun, and Obad grabbed it and shot Robinson in the head. The Brooklyn District Attorney declined to press charges against Obad, saying it appeared to be self-defense. The melee and shooting left subway riders panicking and running for safety when they could. 

That shooting and other high-profile attacks on the subway have some thinking having the National Guard is not a bad idea. “ I think it’s good, people be crazy at the train station and they need order,” said subway rider Joel Batson.

The Transit Workers Union (TWU) favors having more law enforcement officers around. “Considering the peak in crimes against transit workers and straphangers within the subway, the union welcomed all actions of support in efforts of reducing crime. We remain optimistic that the presence of the National Guard would serve as a deterrent, dissuading new and recidivist criminals from inflicting danger in areas where they are posted throughout the system,” TWU spokesperson Alina Ramirez told Harlem View.

Still, many don’t like the idea of the National Guard watching over them. India Lopez, a student at City College said, “The intent is there but for the wrong reasons. New York City is doing all the wrong things.  They’re trying to scare the city instead of keeping us protected.”

The city’s attempt to make the subway system safer by deploying the National Guard is appreciated but until New Yorkers see positive change within the subway, safety seems far from what New Yorkers feel.