New York City Cracks Down on ‘Subway Surfing’ with Permanent Drone Enforcement

Mayor Adams Announces Permanent Drone Crackdown on Subway Lines

7 Permanent Enforcement of Hot Spot Crackdowns on Subway ​Lines, J·M·Z Lines, etc.

Mayor Eric Adams Announces Permanent Drone Crackdown to Combat ​’Subway Surfing’

New York City is launching a full-scale crackdown ⁤on drones​ to eradicate reckless, life-threatening ‘Subway Surfing’. Citizens are encouraged to actively report incidents‍ to ‍help prevent these dangerous activities.

On October 31st, New York City Mayor Eric Adams held a press conference in Woodside, Queens, where⁤ the most recent ‍’Subway ⁢surfing’ death occurred. He announced that drones will ⁣be launched on so-called ‘Subway surfing’ hotspot routes, including the ⁤Queens subway ⁤line‌ 7 and‍ Brooklyn’s J, M, and Z lines. The crackdown will be implemented permanently, and citizens are urged to actively report cases to eradicate Subway surfing.

According to⁤ the ⁤New ‍York Police⁢ Department (NYPD), when a report is received via 911 ⁣or 311 about ‘subway surfing’ in which a person is riding on a train, a drone is immediately dispatched to film the surfer. The on-site response team then​ chases the ⁤surfer and arrests them at ​the next subway station. The captured drone video ​is used as evidence.

Mayor Adams launched the ⁤’Subway⁣ Surfing Kills. ⁢Ride Inside, Stay Alive’ campaign in September last year and began cracking down on drones as a pilot program. According to the⁤ NYPD, in the 12 months since the campaign began, drones have been deployed 900 times and arrested 114 ⁣people. The arrested Subway surfers ranged from a minimum of 9 years old ⁤to a maximum ‍of 33 years old, with an average of only 14 years old.

NYPD Deputy Chief‍ Kaz Daughtry emphasized the importance of the crackdown, stating, “The NYPD prefers to use ⁣the term ‘Saved’ rather than ‘Apprehended’ when​ cracking down on Subway surfing, because these are arrests that actually save lives. We ⁢also discipline our children and take⁢ active steps to prevent recurrence.”

Despite the crackdowns by New York City ⁤and the NYPD, the number ⁤of Subway surfing ​deaths this year was six, exceeding the previous year’s five. The city remains committed‌ to eradicating this reckless behavior and ensuring the safety of its citizens.