Exclusive: CBS New York goes inside NYPD Transit Bureau Command Center
NEW YORK -- When it comes to safety on the subway, passengers often give mixed reviews.
The NYPD says crime underground accounts for less than 2% of crime citywide. But in the past week alone, there were several incidents. Police say surveillance video often helps lead to arrests, including this week.
For the first time, the department allowed a TV camera into the center where it monitors transit cameras.
The city's subway system is nonstop, as are the sights and sounds that come with it.
The NYPD has eyes underground at all times, with officers on patrol and at the Transit Bureau Command Center.
"This is a command center that's staffed 24/7," NYPD Chief of Transit Michael Kemper said.
There, the NYPD monitors the vast network of video throughout the subway system.
"It gives us the ability to monitor what's going on in real time and communicate to the boots on the ground, our cops," Kemper said.
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Kemper said images can be sent to cops on the ground in seconds. Recently, officers at the command center were monitoring cameras at a Brooklyn subway station when they noticed a man walking on the tracks.
"It was apparent to them he was trespassing. It turns out he was graffitiing. They got this information out to the cops," Kemper said.
An officer was seen rushing in and making an arrest.
Kemper said different camera technology is involved in capturing and also combating crimes.
"What you're looking at right now is drone footage capturing subway surfers in Queens," Kemper said.
The footage didn't just lead to arrests but also drew attention to the issue, which Kemper said has become a social media phenomenon among teens.
"We lost five young teenagers, just in 2023, just from subway surfing. This is completely senseless and avoidable," Kemper said.
CBS New York's Jenna DeAngelis wanted to see just how easy it is for investigators to track down someone in transit. Sure enough, all it took was sharing her subway station and commute time to catch her on camera.
"Just think about the value of capturing this crime, also, on video and handing that video off to a prosecutor and just how valuable that is for the prosecution," Kemper said.
Police said they were able to link the same suspect to two transit stabbings, Wednesday, through video, leading to an arrest.
"We're making arrests, particularly in the subway system, at historic rates," Kemper said. "We've arrested people in recent weeks that have been arrested over 100 times. Whatever we're doing once the arrest is made, whatever the justice system is doing, is not working."
Cameras in stations and now on many trains, along with an increased officer presence in the past year, Kemper believes, is making a difference.
"We ended the year on a positive note. We were down in crime in the subway system 2.6%" Kemper said.
He called 2023 a year of progress. We're only a few weeks into the new year, but the latest NYPD data shows a 34% increase in transit crime compared to the same time last year. That includes the shooting death of Richard Henderson, who police said was trying to break up a fight.
"What would your message be to subway riders who see a homicide, who see a stabbing, and say 'I'm not taking the subway. I don't feel safe?'" DeAngelis asked.
"Look, the subway system is safe. Crime in the subway system accounts for 1.8% of all citywide crime," Kemper said. "We understand their concerns and one crime is one crime too many, but these incidents are very rare, very rare."
The focus for the NYPD is staying on track, keeping the momentum of last year.
"We clearly recognize there's a lot of work to be done and we're definitely committed to that challenge," Kemper said.
The MTA says about 20% of subway cars have cameras on board and it's committed to equipping the entire fleet with cameras by the middle of next year.