CNN
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NYPD are looking for a man seen pushing a subway passenger from the platform onto train tracks in Brooklyn before fleeing Friday afternoon.
The NYPD released security footage of the incident and confirmed that the victim was not hit by a train but was physically injured.
The unidentified suspect “intentionally unprovoked” charged a 32-year-old male victim” who was passing by, pushing him onto the tracks at Wyckoff Avenue and Myrtle Avenue subway stations at around 2:40 pm, the NYPD said in a statement Saturday. .
New York City has been reeling from several high-profile violent crimes in recent months, including in its subway system, prompting authorities to improve their crime-fighting strategies.
As of October 17, crime in the city’s subway system has increased by more than 41%, with 1,813 incidents happening so far this year, up from 1,282 in the same period last year, according to NYPD statistics. Nine homicides have occurred in the city’s subway system so far this year, officials said, and 40% of those responsible for the homicides had a history of mental health problems.
The latest incident comes as New York State and City officials are bolstering their efforts to combat crime and mental illness in the New York City subway system with an increased police presence and new training for police officers in engage with homeless people.
The new initiatives will include significant investment from the state’s public emergency fund to support an increase of about 1,200 additional shifts of overtime on subway and train platforms each day. However, officials did not say how much money the city will receive as part of the investment.
The transit authority will also employ unarmed security guards at the turnstiles to increase security presence and prevent fare evasion, Governor Kathy Hochul told a news conference on Saturday.
Transit officers will be deployed to four major rail hubs, including Penn Station, Grand Central Station, Atlantic Terminal and Sutphin-Archer (Jamaica), which will free up about 100 NYPD officers for deployments to other transit locations, according to a report. press release set.
In September, Hochul announced an initiative to install two cameras in each subway car by 2024 to strengthen security coverage. The city has already installed more than 200 cameras throughout the system and is expected to install another 100 cameras in the coming days, the governor said.
