Transit crime is back as a top concern in some US cities, and political leaders have taken notice

By PHILIP MARCELO
Associated Press

NEW YORK (AP) — Fear of crime on subways and buses is back as a top concern in some big U.S. cities, and so are efforts aimed at persuading the public that officials are taking the issue seriously. New York’s governor, Kathy Hochul, said Wednesday that she would deploy 750 members of the National Guard to help patrol the nation’s busiest subway system. In Pennsylvania, lawmakers have created a special prosecutor to go after crimes committed in the transit system that serves the southeast of the state. Philadelphia’s mayor has also promised to beef up police patrols and use “every legal and constitutional tool” at her disposal. Hochul acknowledged that calling in the National Guard was as much about soothing fears and making a political statement as it was about making mass transit safer.