The State of New York and the NYPD will continue to invest in subway safety even as the federal government cuts millions in funding for counterterrorism and public transit safety, Gov. Kathy Hochul said on Thursday.
The news followed President Donald Trump’s announcement that the $187 million in homeland security cuts for New York were restored On Oct. 3. However, Hochul said the state-run MTA was the only agency of 21 nationwide applicants to not receive funding through the federal Transit Security Grant program, which the Federal Emergency Management Agency launched after the 9/11 terrorist attacks in NYC and Washington, D.C.
Since 9/11, New York has received federal support to keep active counterterrorism resources. Hochul said during a press conference at MTA headquarters in Lower Manhattan on Oct. 9 that she “will not tolerate” the slash in funding.
“The shocking actions of Washington Republicans to slash these funds and defund the police put New York City at risk,” the governor said. “We will not tolerate these cuts; New York will take every action available to us, including the courts, to ensure the MTA gets this critical funding to keep millions of riders safe.”
She singled out, in particular, Republican New York Congress members and urged them to speak out in opposition to Trump’s cuts, which she said amounted to a “defunding of police” in New York.
“Find the courage that’s been missing to stand up for the safety of your own residents and stop the defunding of police in the State of New York. So otherwise, you sacrifice the mantle of being the law and order party, which you’re not. You’re not the party that backs the blue, and you have to start acting like you actually care,” Hochul said. “So don’t be hypocrites, help us out here.”
‘A profound mistake’ to pull counterterror grant: Tisch
The Transit Security Grant is designed to protect mass transit systems from security threats. The MTA carries a significant portion of the United States’ mass transit riders, with over 6 million daily trips taken on Metro-North, the Long Island Rail Road, and NYC Transit.
In addition to approximately $12 million that would go to the NYPD, the MTA had planned to utilize this year’s grant funding to support public safety and counter-terrorism investments, including increased MTA police deployment and the installation of cameras.
“It’s truly strange that Washington keeps spinning stories about subway crime, but then defunds the NYPD and MTA cops who patrol the system,” MTA Chair and CEO Janno Lieber said.
Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch, who attended the press conference, said making the safety cuts is a “profound mistake,” adding that it will make the subways “less safe.”
“The fact of the matter is, since 9/11, the NYC subway system has been a persistent target, and with the support of the counterterrorism grant programs, the men and women of the NYPD have done an admirable job keeping the system safe from terrorism,” Tisch said. “Taking these capabilities away from the busiest, and therefore the most high-threat subway system in the country, is a profound mistake. Counterterrorism operations and public safety, in general, cannot be politicized.”
amNewYork contacted the White House for comment and is awaiting a response.
Meanwhile, subway crime in September was down 31% from the same month last year, and year-to-date, it is down 4.3% compared to 2024, according to Hochul and the MTA.
MTA Chief Security Officer Michael Kemper, a former NYPD chief of transit, said the grant funding is crucial for reinforcing and advancing counterterrorism initiatives.
“It significantly enhances our operational capabilities, all with the goal of providing a safe and secure transit environment for our riders and workforce, a responsibility we take seriously every single day,” he said.
