Governor Kathy Hochul is calling for urgent action to address a surge in violent crimes on New York’s public transit systems, linking the issue to untreated mental illness among homeless individuals. In a statement released Tuesday, Hochul emphasized the need for a comprehensive approach combining public safety measures and expanded mental health care.
“The recent surge in violent crimes in our public transit system cannot continue — and we need to tackle this crisis head-on,” Hochul said. “Many of these horrific incidents have involved people with serious untreated mental illness, the result of a failure to get treatment to people who are living on the streets and are disconnected from our mental health care system.”
To address the issue, Hochul highlighted her administration’s $1 billion plan to overhaul mental health services in the state. The initiative includes deploying mental health outreach teams, which have already helped 750 individuals transition from the streets to stable care, restoring 1,000 inpatient psychiatric beds, and introducing regulations requiring mental health facilities to discharge patients with treatment plans.
Hochul also praised law enforcement for their efforts to keep the subway system safe. “The NYPD has primary authority to patrol the subways, and we’ve supported their efforts by deploying additional State Police, MTA Police, and 1,000 members of the New York National Guard,” she said. The governor also pointed to the recent installation of security cameras in every subway car as a key tool for solving crimes more quickly.
To further address the crisis, Hochul announced her intention to introduce legislation in her upcoming executive budget to expand New York’s involuntary commitment standards. Current laws allow hospitals to commit individuals whose mental illness poses a risk of serious harm to themselves or others. The proposed changes would broaden the criteria to ensure more individuals receive necessary care.
Additionally, Hochul plans to propose reforms to Kendra’s Law, which governs court-ordered mental health treatment. The changes aim to streamline the process for Assisted Outpatient Treatment orders and make it easier for individuals to voluntarily enroll in treatment programs.
“I’ve been pushing these changes for the past three years — the time for legislative action is now,” Hochul said.
The governor underscored the importance of collaboration across government and law enforcement agencies to tackle the interconnected challenges of crime and mental health in New York’s transit systems.
