‘No more just doing whatever you want’: NYC mayor promises crackdown on subway crimes

New York City Mayor Eric Adams this week vowed a sharp crackdown on criminal behavior on the city’s public transportation system, promising to bring an end to the crime surge the city has witnessed over the course of the COVID pandemic.

“No more smoking. No more doing drugs. No more sleeping. No more doing barbecues on the subway system,” Adams said at a press conference announcing the move. “No more just doing whatever you want.”

The mayor’s office on Friday released what it said was a “Subway Safety Plan,” one that will, in part, “direct NYPD personnel to assist in enforcing certain subway rules, such as sleeping across multiple seats, exhibiting aggressive behavior to passengers, or creating an unsanitary environment.”

In the announcement, Adams called it “cruel and inhumane to allow unhoused people to live on the subway, and unfair to paying passengers and transit workers who deserve a clean, orderly, and safe environment.” 

“The days of turning a blind eye to this growing problem are over,” he said. 

Among the new planks of the initiative is the creation of new “Drop-In Centers,” locations throughout New York City where homeless individuals can get showers, hot meals and access other services. 

The mayor’s office said those locations “​​provide an immediate pathway for individuals to come indoors” and “directly transition individuals from trains and platforms to safe spaces.”