Richard Davey, president of the New York City Transit Authority, said: “The latest passenger survey data shows that everyone believes that it is safer to take the bus than to take the subway.”
Following the April 12 shooting at Brooklyn’s 36th Street subway station, the New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) moved quickly to tighten security measures in public transit areas such as the subway, according to multiple mainstream media reports.
One of the most discussed measures is the installation of “hidden” surveillance cameras in subway cars. They had previously installed cameras on 4,000 buses, but not subways. So, the goal of this new pilot program is to install cameras in 100 subway cars, of which 65 have been installed so far.
Most of these deployable cameras are hidden so passengers won’t find them. But Davey said: But at the end of the day, the MTA will put up warning signs to inform passengers and potential criminals – there is surveillance! “
So are these cameras linked in real time and monitored 24 hours a day?
Not really.
First, it is not connected to a central server; second, it is not monitored 24/7. It’s more like the surveillance cameras on the streets of New York – when there is a crime in (or around) the car, the New York police will access the monitors and collect key evidence.
“It’s just a precautionary measure,” Davey said. Transit isn’t sure if the cameras will help deter crime, but maybe they will help solve individual crime…Ultimately, they hope this move will also allow people to Feel at ease while riding the subway.
In fact, New York has only installed about 2,000 cameras in more than 200 subway stations lacking cameras since December 2020 in response to a post-pandemic rise in crime.
