Guardian Angels reveal the worst NYC subway lines to ride and which part of a train you are most likely to be robbed
THREE New York City subway lines that run through the South Bronx are particularly dangerous, the founder of the Guardian Angels said.
Curtis Sliwa, who started the citizen crime watchdog group Guardian Angels in 1979, has been patrolling the the subways at night for more than 40 years.
The Sun followed him and six Guardian Angels as they patrolled the rails in Manhattan and the Bronx for four hours Thursday night.
Sliwa said the 6 train between 125th Street and Hunts Point “is no man’s land” where he’s seen a lot of crime happen, and a lot of it goes unreported.
The 4 and D trains between 167th Street or 161st Street (which is Yankee Stadium) during baseball’s offseason and the Fordham Road and Kingsbridge stops, respectively, are just as dangerous.
“These include huge stations in the Bronx,” Sliwa told The Sun. “If you’re in the maze, no one is going to see you or hear you.
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“You might as well throw a message in the bottle in the river. Maybe someone will find it. You’ll have a better chance of getting help.”
One of the riders Thursday night – Kenneth, who didn’t want to give his last name – takes the 6 train from 103rd Street to Hunts Point to work every night.
“I’ve seen people pull knives and rob people. I saw one guy come in and sit next to a woman just to harass her. There was plenty of room in the subway, but he sat next to her,” he said.
The NYPD said they’ve increased patrols in the last few weeks, including adding over 1,000 officers at strategic locations.
There were two officers on the platforms looking into the subway at multiple stops on the 6 train Thursday night.
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Kenneth said he’s noticed more of a police presence over the last week.
“It definitely makes me feel better. I’m on this train every night,” he said. “I started seeing police about two weeks ago, but in the last two days or so, I’ve noticed they’ve been on every platform.
Sliwa said he wants to see officers in the subways and walking through each car.
“It’s about being proactive, and there’s a level of comfort when passengers see police walking by,” Sliwa said.
As he spoke, Kenneth listened and nodded in agreement.
“You never saw police so this is better than nothing,” he said. “At least, I feel like I can get to work safe now.”
DON’T SIT IN THE BACK TWO CARS
The worst place to sit on the subway – especially at night – is the back two cars, Sliwa said while waiting for the 4 train at the 161st Street stop.
That’s where he and his team of six Guardian Angels boarded the train.
“This is where the hoodlums and thugs sit. This is where you’ll see most of the stabbings and robberies,” he said.
From the back of the train, the Guardian Angels – decked out in their historic red berets and red jackets – marched through each subway car as they bounced from line to line.
NYPD’S RESPONSE TO SUBWAY CRIME SPIKE
SUBWAY CRIME IS UP OVER 100%
Crime on the subways skyrocketed during the first three months of 2022, which coincides with people returning to work as the number of Covid cases decline.
At one point in early February, crime was up over 200 percent compared to last year, according to NYPD statistics.
Now it’s up 104.3 percent, with 467 transit crimes reported as compared to 259 at this time last year.
Newly elected Mayor Eric Adams, who’s a former NYPD lieutenant and beat Sliwa in the general election, announced a crackdown on crime in the subways.
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The NYPD said in an emailed statement that they’ve added “station inspections” to “create an omnipresence that riders, at all hours, can see and feel as they make their way to school, work, or home”.
That includes over 1,000 extra officers strategically placed at stations and lines where there are a higher number of riders and reports of crime, the NYPD said.
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