Hochuls latest subway safety gimmick isnt a fix for violence, crime

King Henry IV promised his subjects in 16th-century France “a chicken in every pot” — and now Gov.Hochul pledges two cops on every overnight subway train.It’s the latest in a trifecta of Hochul subway-crime gimmicks, none of which address the system’s underlying problems.In last week’s State of the State speech, Hochul promised, “We will put an [NYPD] officer on every single train, overnight — 9 p.m.

to 5 a.m.” The new program launched Monday night, with 70 cops riding the rails.This initiative will require at least 300 nightly shifts, and Hochul is throwing in another 750 cops in stations during the days as well as overnight.This can work: It’s been done before.In 1965, violent crime was becoming a problem for the first time ever on the previously safe subway system.Mayor Robert Wagner, in response to “terror” over “the mugger, the hoodlum and the young punk,” ordered a policeman in every train and station from 8 p.m.to 4 a.m.The ensuing crime decline — a 58% drop in nighttime felonies — was “stunning.” Overnight crime remained low until the mid-1970s, when budget cuts forced the city to curtail patrols.Superficially, there’s reason to expect the same result.

To rational criminals like robbers, a cop is a deterrent.To criminals incapacitated by mental illness, a cop can intervene before erratic behavior leads to a stabbing or arson death.Indeed, of 43 subway homicides since March of 2020 — including one of two arson deaths — 21 occurred in the eight hours between 9 p.m.and 5 a.m.But policies aren’t enacted in a vacuum.Here’s one problem with applying a 1960s idea: Back then, Wagner was increasing the size of the transit police force, by 800 officers, to 3,200 by 1968.Yes, he relied on overtime during the early months of his initiative, but he had a plan to increase the ranks.Hochul’s plan relies entirely on overtime — when the NYPD is maxed out on it — because transit police today number only about 2...