Monday night marked the first full-fledged overnight surge of NYPD cops into the New York City subway, with at least two officers riding every train late at night and early in the morning.
The initiative began rolling out last week after Gov. Kathy Hochul and Mayor Eric Adams fast-tracked the public safety push, which saw hundreds more officers added to the subways in a partial operation. On Jan. 27, amNewYork Metro rode along with NYPD Chief Of Transit of Joseph Gulotta and his cops in Brooklyn and Manhattan as they patrolled for the first night in full force.
According to Gulotta, the surge consists of 300 extra cops stationed on every overnight train, resulting in two officers per train. The officers — many of whom are working overtime, with the state picking up the extra costs — are brought in from other precincts to make up the numbers with the ultimate goal of making riders feel safe as they commute during the late and early hours.
“The idea is that every stop [officers] are going to get off, they are going to switch cars, there will be an announcement on the train from the MTA that there’s a police officer on the train. So, we think, combined with them going down and walking and switching cars and the announcement, it’s gonna make a big difference in how people feel,” Gulotta said.
According to NYPD statistics, transit crime has been down for months, but Gulotta hopes the wave of additional officers will finally dispel the stubborn public perception that the subways are not safe.
“The idea is to make people feel safer on the train. And that’s really the goal for this at the end of the day, is that people feel safe,” he added.
On Monday night, officers stood at attention at the Metropolitan Avenue/Lorimer Street station in Williamsburg, Brooklyn for roll call as Gulotta laid out the agenda — telling the cops to be on the lookout for suspicious activity and to greet riders with any concerns they have.
Following the roll call, amNewYork Metro shadowed Gulotta and the transit team as they rode the L train into Manhattan, checking the train cars.
While Gulotta stated that the patrols are not about scouring the subways in search of suspects to cuff and instead are about being on hand when they are needed, Gulotta reported that they have affected some arrests.
“It’s more about presence, but when it comes to arrest, we do this all the time,” Gulotta said. “It’s making sure that what’s going on, there’s no lawlessness on the train, that there’s law and order on the train, which is the key for us.”
During the ride, the cops were greeted by a mixture of contrasting reactions. While some jeered at the officers as they boarded, others thanked them, stating that they made them feel safer.
There were no criminal incidents observed during amNewYork Metro’s ride-along on Monday into Tuesday.
Nevertheless, Captain Bolivar Parreno said having extra cops available in the wee hours of the morning is important to him.
“To me, it’s very important, on a personal level. You know, my parents take the subway, both are seniors, my mom and dad — it’s personal to me,” Bolivar said.
