Gov. Cathy Hochul announced Wednesday that 250 more National Guard troops will be deployed to New York City subways to help protect straphangers during the holidays.
Hochul said at a news conference at the One Vanderbilt entrance to Grand Central Terminal that the additions will bring the National Guard's total presence in the metro to 1,000.
Hochul noted that up to 8 million more people are expected to use the subway during the holiday season.
“We want people to know that they are safe when they go through the turnstiles,” she says.
The governor claimed that his controversial first deployment of the National Guard to the subways in March led to a dramatic drop in traffic crime.
“It is important that we continue this strategy that has proven successful,” she said.
“Crime on the subway has decreased by 10% since March last year,” Hochul said. “Since 1970, there have only been two years when subway crime was lower than last year.”
