Soldiers in the subways help riders feel safe

Stamford, Conn.: I’m having difficulty understanding the reasoning behind your objection to Gov. Hochul’s subway safety initiative (“On the wrong track,” editorial, March 7). The addition of 750 National Guardsmen and 250 state police, among other measures to improve subway security, should be met with open arms by your editorial staff. Instead, you engage in tortured logic to conclude that these measures are misguided.

With subway safety, perception is reality. When people avoid subways out of fear of crime, that is a reality. Statistics become immaterial. Moreover, violent crime statistics ignore the terror engendered when individuals roam subway cars creating an atmosphere of lawlessness.

Case in point is the incident involving the choking death of Jordan Neely back in May 2023. Without commenting on the merits, an entire carload of straphangers were terrorized by Neely before he was subdued by ex-Marine Daniel Penny and others. Those passengers applauded Penny for protecting them from a rational fear of danger. But that fear isn’t captured in crime statistics. Threatening behavior in the subway system is commonplace. It erodes ridership and undermines a sense of security for law-abiding subway patrons.

Any reasonable measure that creates an additional layer of security should receive your full-throated approval. National Guardsmen have plenty of training and shouldn’t be depicted as political window dressing. They will be performing a much-needed function of improving security and the perception of safety. Other measures you suggest might be helpful too, but that’s no argument to reject this creative solution initiated by our state and city leaders.

Peter Janoff