New York City is taking on subway surfing with drones and PSAs featuring young people
NEW YORK -- Faced with a deadly series of subway surfing incidents, New York City is turning to technology -- and young people -- to help put a stop to it.
Over the last five weeks, three people, all under the age of 15, were killed in three separate incidents. In all, six people have been killed in subway surfing-related incidents in 2024.
"This is real. This is just not having fun. It can be fatal, and that's why we're here today," Mayor Eric Adams said.
Speaking to reporters on Thursday, Adams discussed the city's multi-faceted approach to combating the problem.
"It sounds harmless, but it is not harmless," Adams said. "That train that we hear behind you is filled with steel, metal, the third rail is extremely dangerous. Being on top, if you fall, even if the train is not moving, you have the potential of slipping through the cracks of the train. Just a fall is harmful. And when you deal with an elevated platform, like the 7 line, which is one of the most frequently subway surfing locations, you are actually elevating the level of threat and potential death."
Here's what NYC is doing about subway surfing
Adams said the city is using public service announcements featuring young people, drones, NYPD manpower, and reports from everyday New Yorkers to put a halt to subway surfing.
He said all of that is necessary because young people continue to be influenced by social media.
"When we came together to do the PSA announcement, we leaned towards [young people] because they know how to communicate on social media, which is one of the top culprits in this crisis that we are facing in subway surfing," Adams said. "Now, you have 30 million people watching your likes. That becomes intoxicating, and it is an adrenaline rush and you compete to see who can do something more dangerous on top of the train, in the process. And that's why we have changed the dynamic and met this threat head on."
Schools Chancellor Melissa Aviles-Ramos said the Department of Education is looking to increase the amount of PSA presentations it does to students in partnership with the NYPD Transit Bureau. City officials also said they're in active talks with multiple social media companies to restrict videos of subway surfing from appearing on any platform.
So far, the NYPD says 900 drone flights have saved 114 lives, ranging in age from 9 to 33.
"They're labeling them as apprehensions. We're labeling them as lives saved," NYPD Deputy Commissioner Kaz Daughtry said.
The NYPD said drones have about a half hour flight time. If a surfer is spotted, police don't stop the trains, but send officers along the train route.
The mayor said the flights will continue as long as the disturbing trend does.
"We have become more proactive by allowing the drone operation to be incorporated in the heavily-used train lines where subway surfing is taking place," Adams said.
Recent subway surfing deaths in New York City
In mid September, an 11-year-old died while surfing on top of a G train. On Oct. 24, a boy was killed just days after his 13th birthday while surfing on a train in Queens.
Then on Sunday night, the NYPD said two young girls were surfing when they fell between the tracks and were struck by a southbound 7 train near the 111th Street station in Corona. One died and the other was critically injured.
