Gov. Cathy Hochul is still busy blocking funding for a $154 million raid on overnight subway trains by the New York City Police Department, even as the first wave of police stormed the tunnels this week.
Only half of the cash needed for the six-month surge has been set aside, and Mr. Hochul asked for the remaining $77 million in his budget proposal released Tuesday.
The request still needs approval from state lawmakers in Albany, and if they don't act, New York City could be in trouble.
Until the funds are in place, the NYPD will likely have to pay overtime for the 300 officers patrolling the trains, according to people familiar with the talks.
“We're talking about recovering overtime pay for these people,” Hochul said at a news conference after unveiling the massive $252 billion budget.
Last week, in his policy-setting State of the Union address, Hochul finally acknowledged the rise in violent subway crime.
She announced that New York City Police Department officers would be placed on every night subway train between 9 p.m. and 5 a.m., paid for by the state. He also said an additional 750 police officers would be stationed at platforms and stations day and night.
The governor kept details about the surge mostly vague, including the cost, but ultimately clarified that the first $77 million would come from the current state budget.
The surge was still kicking off on Monday as funding issues lingered. Mayor Eric Adams and NYPD Transportation Commissioner Joseph Gulotta provided further details the next day about how the initiative will take shape.
Gulotta said the surge began on the A, G, J and L lines, with two officers onboard each train as scheduled.
“It was very successful,” he said. “We were able to get them on the train.”
Gulotta said the first wave will have about 100 police officers, but that number will eventually grow to 300.
MTA conductors will announce to hangers-on that a police officer is on board the train, he said.
Officers will then go onto the platform at each stop and return to the train, the chief said.
Hours before the surge began, a 39-year-old man was punched and slashed in the chest in what appeared to be an unprovoked attack on a D train, police said.
Police said the attack occurred around 2:45 a.m. near the DeKalb Avenue stop, and the victim was taken to a local hospital in stable condition.
— Additional reporting by Amanda Woods
