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MTA to Install Security Cameras in Every New York City Subway Car


NoHacksJustKhaks

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https://www.governor.ny.gov/news/governor-hochul-announces-mta-install-security-cameras-every-new-york-city-subway-car

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Governor Hochul Announces MTA to Install Security Cameras in Every New York City Subway Car

Governor Kathy Hochul today announced the Metropolitan Transportation Authority New York City Transit has received a $2 million award, through the Urban Area Security Initiative federal grant program, which will provide funding for the installation of cameras across the entire fleet of subway cars, enhancing security coverage, and, most importantly, increasing passenger confidence in mass transit safety. The Urban Area Security Initiative is a program under the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Preparedness Grants. The funding will enable the purchase of 5,400 cameras to be installed on 2,700 New York City Transit subway cars, two per car. Additionally, the program will fund approximately 3,800 cameras expanding coverage in approximately 130 subway stations.

"My number one priority as Governor is keeping New Yorkers safe," Governor Hochul said. "I am proud that we will be installing cameras on all Subway cars - expanding our security capabilities, deterring crime, and providing our law enforcement with support. As we continue welcoming riders back to the transit system, we will continue doing everything in our power to keep riders safe."

The funding will further strengthen NYC Transit's existing security network of more than 10,000 cameras across all 472 subway stations. The new funding covers the cost of camera installation on 6,355 cars, allowing the MTA to fully outfit every subway car with cameras -- supplementing an existing camera pilot program that includes 200 cameras in 100 subway cars. Additionally, funding from the Subway Action Plan totaling $3.5 million will enable the purchase of 7,310 cameras on 3,655 cars, two per car. The total funding to complete the installations equals $5.5 million. When installation begins an additional 200 train cars per month will have cameras installed until the entire subway car fleet is camera-equipped, which is anticipated to occur sometime in 2025. In addition, when new R211 subway cars are delivered starting in early 2023 they will already be camera-equipped.

This is the latest measure Governor Hochul has taken to deter crime and enhance the safety of New York City Subways. In June, Governor Hochul signed legislation to protect roughly 11,000 more transit workers against assault and harassment. The legislation extended criminal charges to individuals who assault station customer assistants, ticket or revenue collectors, maintenance workers, repairers, cleaners, and their supervisors, who were not protected under previous laws.

MTA Chair and CEO Janno Lieber said, "As I've said many times before, those who commit crimes in the transit system will be identified and brought to justice. Riders should know we've got their back for their entire journey and this significant upgrade - made possible by new dollars from Governor Hochul - is a great step towards reinforcing New Yorkers' confidence in mass transit safety."

New York City Mayor Eric Adams said, "Public safety is my top priority and this new security initiative will further work to ensure that all New Yorkers can get to where they need to go safely. Public transportation is the backbone of New York City, and when commuters feel protected the entire system stands upright. I look forward to the inevitable and positive changes this new program will bring, as well as continuing to work with Governor Hochul to keep our subways safe for all riders."

NYPD Commissioner Keechant L. Sewell said, "The NYPD will never cede an inch in its ongoing work to ensure the safety and security of the millions of riders who, each day, depend on us throughout the nation's largest subway system. This is our most basic promise as we remain dedicated to preventing crime, terrorism, and disorder. The NYPD already uses existing MTA cameras, with great success, to solve crimes. Now, with ridership increasing and overall serious crime in the transit system back below pre-pandemic levels - a consequence of the NYPD's increased, concentrated deployment in stations and on trains - the installation of additional MTA cameras covering the entire fleet of subway cars will further our investigatory capabilities and enhance our ability to provide effective, efficient public safety both below and above ground."

New York City Transit President Richard Davey said, "It's been proven time and time again that cameras in the transit system help fight crime throughout the whole city, not just on the subway. Expanding the camera network will serve to deter those who are intent on committing a crime from entering the transit system."

MTA Chief Safety & Security Officer Patrick Warren said, "Cameras are an extremely effective tool in solving investigations and in deterring crime. Public and employee security and safety are priorities at the MTA and we consistently work towards implementing and improving measures that support these priorities. This grant is an important step forward supporting our safety and security efforts."

All Metro-North trains are equipped with cameras, and more than 90 percent of Long Island Rail Road trains are equipped with security cameras. Last year, camera installation across every subway station was accelerated and completed ahead of schedule. Two thousand cameras were installed in 2021 alone.

The MTA is committed to providing safe and reliable public transit and the Urban Area Security Initiative Award marks the latest step forward in the Authority's mission to be a fully monitored transit system by better deterring crime and increasing passenger security.

Not a fan of the idea personally, any thoughts?

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I laughed when I read about this yesterday. Cameras don't deter criminals, which is why you won't see people rushing back to take the subway. The guy that shot up that (N) train... I'm sure he wasn't concerned about cameras... Not to mention how many of them don't work. This is just putting lipstick on a pig. That $6 million would be better invested having more cops ride on the actual trains and not just standing around on the platform.

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25 minutes ago, Via Garibaldi 8 said:

I laughed when I read about this yesterday. Cameras don't deter criminals, which is why you won't see people rushing back to take the subway. The guy that shot up that (N) train... I'm sure he wasn't concerned about cameras... Not to mention how many of them don't work. This is just putting lipstick on a pig. That $6 million would be better invested having more cops ride on the actual trains and not just standing around on the platform.

Lipstick on a pig...LMAO...I got it that they should use the money for more cops on trains but we know thats not happening...This idea might make the ppl who do ride the train feel a little safer.......I mean it will be totally stupid to install camaras on trains thats not gonna work at the end of the day especially in the world we live in with all this tech....Question do the camaras on the buses actually work...

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1 hour ago, biGC323232 said:

Lipstick on a pig...LMAO...I got it that they should use the money for more cops on trains but we know thats not happening...This idea might make the ppl who do ride the train feel a little safer.......I mean it will be totally stupid to install camaras on trains thats not gonna work at the end of the day especially in the world we live in with all this tech....Question do the camaras on the buses actually work...

That's the big problem. Most of them are not functional and aren't checked. Back in 2010, almost 50% of them didn't work. The last audit showed similar issues.

https://gothamist.com/news/many-cities-have-more-robust-subway-camera-systems-than-ny

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And in 2018, an audit by the state comptroller’s office found routine problems with camera maintenance in the subway system. For instance, auditors reviewed all 223 cameras at 10 subway stations between January 2014 through September 2016 and found that about 31 percent of 4,219 planned checks weren’t done.

Then there is the issue that almost a third of cameras that are supposed to be checked are not. The audits are usually small sample sizes, but I'm sure if they did a more extensive one, the percentage would likely be even higher.

https://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/30/nyregion/30subway.html

 

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Yeah, trusting the (MTA) with technology... not a good idea lol.

I'll say that even if the cameras all worked 100%, I still wouldn't see it as a huge deterrent to crime in the system. A lot of the nonsense you end up seeing on the system gets videoed by people's phones anyway. A lot of crimes are a different beast entirely. I hate to say it, but they will be getting a lot of "SHOWTIME" footage from these cameras...

I also don't see this making any impact on Hochul's performance in November, not that she needs any (given the kinda candidate Zeldin is).

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20 minutes ago, NoHacksJustKhaks said:

Yeah, trusting the (MTA) with technology... not a good idea lol.

I'll say that even if the cameras all worked 100%, I still wouldn't see it as a huge deterrent to crime in the system. A lot of the nonsense you end up seeing on the system gets videoed by people's phones anyway. A lot of crimes are a different beast entirely. I hate to say it, but they will be getting a lot of "SHOWTIME" footage from these cameras...

I also don't see this making any impact on Hochul's performance in November, not that she needs any (given the kinda candidate Zeldin is).

Hochul hasn't been anything to write home about either and I don't think she's got it in the bag. She's just trying to do enough to make sure she's elected come November. Still her election to lose, only because of NY being heavily Democratic.

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20 hours ago, KingsbridgeKid2532 said:

What are they going to do with the footage?

What happens in the case of mistaken identity, and someone is arrested or killed.?

Lastly, they said this 7 years ago. Subway cars will get surveillance cameras in 2015 (nypost.com) Do you believe them now?

 

[] Nothing. Or perhaps more accurately, release it on the news and say the NYPD are '' looking for the suspects'' and its basically memory-holed. 

[] Nothing. Just the cost of doing business. Maybe the families will sue the city?.... 

[] At this point. does anyone really care? 

 

Forgive my pessimism, but at this point the mood about is most people are just trying to survive these times, just tryin' to make it till Friday.

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22 hours ago, Via Garibaldi 8 said:

Hochul hasn't been anything to write home about either and I don't think she's got it in the bag. She's just trying to do enough to make sure she's elected come November. Still her election to lose, only because of NY being heavily Democratic.

With the way how she’s doing things worse then Cumomo, she does not have a chance at being re-elected.

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On 9/21/2022 at 10:16 AM, Via Garibaldi 8 said:

I laughed when I read about this yesterday. Cameras don't deter criminals, which is why you won't see people rushing back to take the subway. The guy that shot up that (N) train... I'm sure he wasn't concerned about cameras... Not to mention how many of them don't work. This is just putting lipstick on a pig. That $6 million would be better invested having more cops ride on the actual trains and not just standing around on the platform.

Kind of a straw man, the guy who shot up the N train wasn't concerned about cameras because...there were no cameras. And then when they caught him after, it was from cameras on the street. Hard to see how that isn't a useful tool. And $6 million pays for like, four hours worth of NYPD. Would require a way more substantial investment.

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12 hours ago, MHV9218 said:

Kind of a straw man, the guy who shot up the N train wasn't concerned about cameras because...there were no cameras. And then when they caught him after, it was from cameras on the street. Hard to see how that isn't a useful tool. And $6 million pays for like, four hours worth of NYPD. Would require a way more substantial investment.

I think they're calling out the time the dude literally got away because none of the cameras in Sunset were working when he escaped iirc. 

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  • 1 month later...
On 9/21/2022 at 7:16 AM, Via Garibaldi 8 said:

I laughed when I read about this yesterday. Cameras don't deter criminals, which is why you won't see people rushing back to take the subway. The guy that shot up that (N) train... I'm sure he wasn't concerned about cameras... Not to mention how many of them don't work. This is just putting lipstick on a pig. That $6 million would be better invested having more cops ride on the actual trains and not just standing around on the platform.

Right.

NYCHA projects are full of cameras. But at the end of the day, some dude remotely watching the cameras is probably going to take 10+ minutes to get to you, and you can do a lot of shit in ten minutes.

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  • 1 year later...

Okay... so the MTA couldn't find a better place to install these cameras than blocking part of the next-stop display?! (As seen on a C train last night.) Just lazy...

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Posted (edited)
10 hours ago, rbrome said:

Okay... so the MTA couldn't find a better place to install these cameras than blocking part of the next-stop display?! (As seen on a C train last night.) Just lazy...

7 hours ago, Kamen Rider said:

unless you want them to actually have to punch holes in the walls... no. 

That’s civil engineering for you.

An often reposted joke:

Quote

Three Engineers are having an argument…

  1. The first says: "God must be a mechanical engineer -- just look at the joints in the human body."
  2. The second says: "God is an electrical engineer -- just look at the nervous system."
  3. The third says: "God has to be a civil engineer -- who else would run a waste disposal pipeline through a perfectly good recreational area?"
Edited by CenSin
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7 hours ago, Kamen Rider said:

unless you want them to actually have to punch holes in the walls... no. 

Or maybe we can scrap this whole idea and just built them in future subway cars

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1 hour ago, Chris89292 said:

Or maybe we can scrap this whole idea and just built them in future subway cars

Except management has promised them in the entire fleet, NOW. Hell, I even know where they’re installing them in the R46s… which actually did require drilling a hole.

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Posted (edited)
22 hours ago, rbrome said:

Okay... so the MTA couldn't find a better place to install these cameras than blocking part of the next-stop display?! (As seen on a C train last night.) Just lazy...

Perfect spot for them...The whole car can be seen..

Some genius thought he was being slick was covering them up..

They arrested him  facial recognition software is real....

Edited by RTOMan
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