The NYPD has begun reassigning approximately 700 officers to transit hubs in a bid to address safety concerns, according to internal documents cited by The New York Post. The large-scale redeployment aims to strengthen overnight patrols, part of a recently expanded initiative targeting crime on public transit.
Officers from precincts and specialized units across the city, including new graduates from the police academy, are among those being reassigned. The move also affects personnel from the NYPD Chaplains Unit and security teams stationed at One Police Plaza, Manhattan’s police headquarters.
The strategy follows a series of violent incidents in the subway system that have heightened public anxiety. Recent cases include a man who was pushed onto the tracks in Manhattan and narrowly avoided being struck by a train, and a fatal attack in Brooklyn, where a woman was set on fire aboard a subway car. The increased patrols, which began on January 20 with 100 officers, have now been significantly scaled up.
While city officials emphasize the importance of visible police presence to deter crime, the redeployment has raised concerns in other areas. Court officers, for example, worry that the reassignment of courthouse security personnel will exacerbate existing staffing shortages, potentially leading to longer wait times for arraignments. According to a police source, some defendants are already waiting nearly two days to appear before a judge, far exceeding the goal of processing cases within 24 hours.
Mayor Eric Adams has been vocal about prioritizing transit safety, frequently visiting subway stations to meet with officers and commuters. His administration hopes that the increased police presence will restore confidence among riders while addressing a troubling rise in certain crimes.
Although overall crime in the subway system has decreased by 36% compared to last year, NYPD data indicates a 56% surge in misdemeanor assaults, with 106 incidents reported so far in 2025, up from 68 during the same period in 2024.
