NEW YORK — When it involves protection at the subway, passengers regularly give blended evaluations.
The NYPD says crime underground accounts for lower than 2% of crime citywide. But up to now week by myself, there have been a number of incidents. Police say surveillance video regularly is helping result in arrests, together with this week.
For the primary time, the dept allowed a TV digital camera into the middle the place it screens transit cameras.
The town’s subway gadget is nonstop, as are the attractions and sounds that include it.
The NYPD has eyes underground all the time, with officials on patrol and on the Transit Bureau Command Center.
“This is a command center that’s staffed 24/7,” NYPD Chief of Transit Michael Kemper mentioned.
There, the NYPD screens the huge community of video all over the subway gadget.
“It gives us the ability to monitor what’s going on in real time and communicate to the boots on the ground, our cops,” Kemper mentioned.
READ MORE:Â MTA trying out subway platform limitations at 4 stations in New York City
Kemper mentioned photographs will also be despatched to police officers at the floor in seconds. Recently, officials on the command middle have been tracking cameras at a Brooklyn subway station once they spotted a person strolling at the tracks.
“It was apparent to them he was trespassing. It turns out he was graffitiing. They got this information out to the cops,” Kemper mentioned.
An officer used to be noticed speeding in and making an arrest.
CBS2
Kemper mentioned other digital camera generation is fascinated about taking pictures and likewise fighting crimes.
“What you’re looking at right now is drone footage capturing subway surfers in Queens,” Kemper mentioned.
The photos did not simply result in arrests but in addition drew consideration to the problem, which Kemper mentioned has transform a social media phenomenon amongst teenagers.
“We lost five young teenagers, just in 2023, just from subway surfing. This is completely senseless and avoidable,” Kemper mentioned.
CBS New York’s Jenna DeAngelis sought after to peer simply how simple it’s for investigators to trace down somebody in transit. Sure sufficient, all it took used to be sharing her subway station and travel time to catch her on digital camera.
“Just think about the value of capturing this crime, also, on video and handing that video off to a prosecutor and just how valuable that is for the prosecution,” Kemper mentioned.
Police mentioned they have been ready to link the similar suspect to 2 transit stabbings, Wednesday, via video, resulting in an arrest.
“We’re making arrests, particularly in the subway system, at historic rates,” Kemper mentioned. “We’ve arrested people in recent weeks that have been arrested over 100 times. Whatever we’re doing once the arrest is made, whatever the justice system is doing, is not working.”
Cameras in stations and now on many trains, along side an larger officer presence up to now yr, Kemper believes, is creating a distinction.
“We ended the year on a positive note. We were down in crime in the subway system 2.6%” Kemper mentioned.
He referred to as 2023 a yr of development. We’re just a few weeks into the brand new yr, however the newest NYPD information displays a 34% building up in transit crime in comparison to the similar time closing yr. That comprises the taking pictures demise of Richard Henderson, who police mentioned used to be seeking to get a divorce a struggle.
“What would your message be to subway riders who see a homicide, who see a stabbing, and say ‘I’m not taking the subway. I don’t feel safe?'” DeAngelis requested.
“Look, the subway system is safe. Crime in the subway system accounts for 1.8% of all citywide crime,” Kemper mentioned. “We understand their concerns and one crime is one crime too many, but these incidents are very rare, very rare.”
The center of attention for the NYPD is staying heading in the right direction, conserving the momentum of closing yr.
“We clearly recognize there’s a lot of work to be done and we’re definitely committed to that challenge,” Kemper mentioned.
The MTA says about 20% of subway automobiles have cameras on board and it is dedicated to equipping all of the fleet with cameras through the center of subsequent yr.
