It's time to pay attention to the city under the city

In a horrific case of cold-blooded murder, a woman was set ablaze as she slept on the train in Brooklyn on Sunday, Dec. 22. The alleged arsonist, Sebastian Zapeta was apprehended and charged, but the woman has yet to be identified, according to a Dec. 29 article by CNN.

In spring 2023, Daniel Penny was riding the train when Jordan Neely began harassing and intimidating passengers, according to testimonials. Penny apprehended Neely via chokehold and did not release him until Neely died in his arms.

Neely, who suffered from severe mental health issues 

On May 10, 2023, The New Yorker published, “The System That Failed Jordan Neely,” and dove into the history of a system that has long neglected to properly care for individuals with mental illnesses. Instead, the individuals are arrested and convicted without having addressed the issues, which more than likely, make them repeat offenders.

On Dec. 9, 2024, Penny was found not guilty of manslaughter, He was promptly invited by the president and vice president-elect to join them in their private booth at the Army/Navy football game in Washington, D.C.

Some call Penny a hero, others call him a murderer. But despite what side you’re on, the question of subway safety remains.

From January to March in 2024, the overall arrests in the subway system were up almost 53%, jumping from 3,147 in 2023 to 4,813, according to the NYPD.

Over the years, and especially post-pandemic, The Press witnessed open drug use on the 1 train and in its stations and spotted a used syringe sitting in one of the train’s seats at 242^nd Street.

A few weeks ago, a man entered the 1 train at 231^st Street and began harassing customers. There were no police in sight and train staff resorted to docking in the station with doors open. The individual wandered in and out of the train until the train worker quickly shut the door behind him, locking him out of the train. The individual proceeded to swear and bang on the door until the train pulled out of the station.

Several women were on the train – one had a visible pepper spray in her hand while the other ran off into a separate car.

The NYC subway is one of the largest train systems in the world, with 472 stations, about 245 miles of track and approximately three million riders a day — that’s more than the population of Albany. There is a literal city under the city, bustling 24 hours a day, yet it remains sparsely policed and staffed.

Where do people turn when they help and are trapped beneath the concrete jungle?

In mid-December, Gov. Hochul introduced a five-point plan to increase subway safety which included deploying an additional 250 National Guards to help support New York's Joint Task Force Empire Shield. The MTA also announced the installation of 15,396 security cameras, which are included in 100% of all subway cars.

“This unit protects our subways, our assets, as well as our streets,” said Gov. Hochul in the presser. “Members of the National Guard you see here are part of this organization.”

But train riders can tell you, the soldiers are seldom found on the platforms and more often spotted near turnstiles, in what seems to be a very severe case of anti-fare evasion policing. Cameras only act as surveillance and record a criminal act after it has been committed. And whenever the police are spotted on the platform, they are often huddled together, talking and scrolling through their phones.

This is not to say that police presence does not act as a deterrent, as Hochul’s office reported a 10% decrease in subway crime year to year, despite the increase in arrests.

In a do-it-yourself approach, Curtis Sliwa, former mayoral candidate and founder of the Guardian Angels – a grassroots crime prevention task unit for the streets and trains of NYC founded in 1979 – announced the resurgence of the clan in an interview with the New York Post.

Although NYC in the 1970s and ‘80s was a much more crime-riddled place in the dawn of a crack epidemic, Sliwa argues that things are on a steady decline.

“A lot of times, these homeless and emotionally disturbed persons, they know of the Guardian Angels and we can have a calming effect,” Sliwa told the Post on Sunday, Dec. 29.  “We can also bring the situation to the attention of the cops on the platform.”

Sliwa added a term -- “The Daniel Penny” effect, which he believes has deterred police and individuals from intervening in petty crime for fear of situations like the Daniel Penny and Jordan Neely case.

New York City is the most populated city in the U.S. and when comparing the numbers of crime per capita, NYC is much lower than other urban locales throughout the country. However, one crime is one too many.

It’s time the greatest city in the world get the greatest transportation in the world as well.