Six months after a crackdown on subway surfing was announced, the effectiveness of the initiative remains unclear. Mayor Eric Adams and the NYPD introduced a drone technology and 911 hybrid strategy to monitor and deter subway surfers. Even with a reported 70% increase in arrests for subway surfing and a rise in injuries, including that of a critically injured 13-year-old, officials have not provided updates on the initiative's success. The trend appears linked to social media, prompting the MTA to initiate public service announcements to discourage this dangerous activity.
In 2024, arrests for subway surfing were up 70% from the previous year, with the average age of those apprehended being 14.
Mayor Eric Adams and then-NYPD Commissioner Tom Donlon on Oct. 31, 2024, said they would use a 911 and drone technology hybrid initiative to track subway surfing.
Despite the lack of feedback on the drone technology push, multiple children have been injured, including a critically harmed 13-year-old boy in March.
Subway surfing, often glorified on social media, has seen a resurgence, prompting the MTA and Adams to launch public service announcements against it.
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