Hochul Asserts Subway Safety Amid Surge in Violent Deaths in 2024

If progressives oppose individuals acting in self-defense or aiding others on the subway, then the state needs to ensure our safety — yet Gov. Hochul still fails to protect us from the most perilous subway conditions in three decades.

It’s understandable for New Yorkers to worry that Good Samaritans may be hesitant to intervene, even after Daniel Penny was acquitted of criminal negligence in the death of Jordan Neely, who had posed a threat to fellow passengers.

Who wants to spend eight weeks at the defense table?

As Imani-Ciara Pizarro, one of two random stabbing victims at Grand Central on Christmas Eve, recounted to The Post, witnesses to the assault “just froze.”

This causes reasonable individuals to reconsider before helping others, making the subways even riskier despite Hochul’s ludicrous claims that they are safe.

Hochul’s reaction to the appalling murder by fire of an unidentified woman on a moving F train on December 22 was utterly caricatured: Her office boasted on X about her March initiative to deploy the National Guard in the subways.

“Crime is going down,” the post triumphantly stated.

Her subsequent comments were hardly more reassuring: Citing “brand-new security cameras,” Hochul pointed out that police had apprehended a suspect in the arson murder, adding the caveat: “Make no mistake: any crime is one too many, even with subway crime going down.”

Which subway crimes are actually decreasing?

The crime that concerns people most — homicide — is setting records unseen in decades.

This year alone, 12 individuals have lost their lives to violence on the subway, with most incidents involving unprovoked attacks by strangers.

The first victim was grandfather Richard Henderson, killed in January while trying to resolve a dispute over music, and it culminates (thus far) with the tragic Coney Island fire.

Since March 2020, there have been 43 subway fatalities, triggered by a shocking surge in violence following three murders within weeks — all occurring during the early days of the pandemic when subway ridership was minimal.

Astonishingly, one of the murders from 2020 — the killing of subway motorman Garrett Goble — was also an arson case.

This year’s total of twelve killings has eclipsed the post-2020 record of 11 in 2022, a year during which growing concerns over subway violence nearly propelled GOP gubernatorial candidate Lee Zeldin to victory over Hochul.

In contrast, prior to 2020, New York managed to reduce subsurface violence significantly starting in 1990, recording only one or two subway murders annually.

The time it took to reach 43 subway killings from the turn of the millennium until 2020 spanned an astonishing 20 years.

This situation has deteriorated to the point where other crime rates becoming “down” seem trivial in comparison.

In fact, other subway crimes aren’t decreasing — at least not in comparison to pre-2020 levels.

As of November this year, subway passengers and employees have encountered 947 violent felonies. While that is 9.5% lower than last year, it represents a staggering 14.1% higher than figures from 2019.

When adjusted for reduced post-COVID ridership, the rate of violence per ride has surged, up nearly two-thirds.

It is also worth noting that of the homicide statistics, four killings since 2020 — accounting for over 10% — have been classified as self-defense incidents, including one occurring just this month.

These cases do not typically contribute to the NYPD’s annual murder statistics.

While one might hesitate to come to another’s aid following the outcome of the Penny trial, the instinct to defend oneself remains potent.

On the day of the fatal fire in Brooklyn, for instance, at least four men surrounded another sleeping passenger on a Queens 7 train, robbing and assaulting him.

In the ensuing altercation, the victim fought back, fatally stabbing one of the assailants — and thus far, he faces no charges, while his surviving attackers do.

Violence breeds justified violence. If progressives disapprove of this cycle, they need to address the initial violence.

How can this be achieved?

If you examine the details surrounding a subway murder or attempted murder, the root of the issue becomes evident.

The suspect in the mid-December fire, 33-year-old Sebastian Zapeta-Calil, illegally re-entered the country after having been deported during the Trump administration.

Zapeta-Calil exemplifies the dangers of allowing thousands of unvetted young men without constructive outlets into our country — especially coupled with a failure to enforce low-level laws that curb antisocial behavior.

He has exploited our shelters, frequently using synthetic marijuana and becoming dangerously intoxicated.

Jordan Neely, whose death on the Manhattan F train triggered the Penny trial, was also under the influence of K2 when he threatened subway riders.

While New York has decriminalized drug use, it does nothing to mitigate such mind-altering intoxication.

Alternatively, consider last week’s non-fatal stabbings at Grand Central — allegedly committed by Jason Sargeant, an individual with a record of arrests for criminal mischief, fare evasion, and assaults on police officers.

Elected officials may not want people like Penny intervening on the subway, yet they do little to shield us from foreseeable violence.

As a result, our subway system has devolved into a scenario where each individual must fend for themselves, leaving the vulnerable to navigate their own peril.

Nicole Gelinas is a contributing editor to the Manhattan Institute’s City Journal.