The NYPD doesn’t care if you get brutally attacked on the subway, as long as you pay the $2.90 fare first!

When Mayor Eric Adams and the NYPD announced their plan to dispatch 800 NYPD officers to the NYC subway to crack down on fare evasion, they promised to protect the safety of the subway riders everywhere. Instead, they have become the face of unnecessary use of tax dollars and NYC funding. 

Subway stations all around NYC have seen a dramatic rise in NYPD officers stationed at the entrance, keeping a close eye on the turnstiles to ensure no one cheats their way to a free ride. They’re unavoidable, always guarding the safety exit to prevent the kind samaritan from inside the station from letting in dangerous criminals: immigrant mothers selling fruit & churros, the homeless looking for shelter & warmth, college students trying to get to their jobs to pay off their student debt.
NYC residents have expressed concern with the overwhelming presence of officers on their local stations, saying they feel less safe and even more at risk. This criticism stems from the belief that the NYPD officers present are not doing anything to prevent crimes from happening, only responding to or exacerbating them.
On September 15th, 37-year-old Derrel Mickels was seen evading the subway fare, sliding through the emergency exit at his first opportunity. The two officers stationed on the Sutter Avenue L train station entrance pursued him, chasing him up several flights of stairs and onto the outdoor platform. When Mickels eventually pulled out a knife that was concealed on his person, the officers chose to open fire on the crowded station. This resulted in four injuries: Mickels, two bystanders (one critically injured and having to undergo cranial surgery), and one of the officers involved in the chase. NYC residents were outraged at the escalation of events, and the choice made by the NYPD to open fire in a crowded civilian area. 

On October 17th, a 30-year-old Nedal Kifayeh was stabbed in the eye in an empty Bay Ridge R train station. On his way to work, Kifayeh was brutally attacked by an unidentified man who was seen jumping the turnstiles. Alone in the station, Kifayeh was forced to call 911 by himself, and now risks losing his ability to see out of his left eye. Where were the police when Nedal Kifayeh was attacked? 

On October 28th, a young girl died while subway surfing, the latest TikTok trend, on the southbound 7 train in Queens. The 13-year-old girl, not yet identified, is the sixth person to die after partaking in the trend of subway surfing, with the last victim having died only a week ago. 

With the majority of QHSS students taking public transportation to and from school, the rise in dangerous crime making headlines is cause for concern for students, faculty, and parents alike.