He wanted to hear it like it is from New York City’s straphangers.
Police Commissioner Edward Caban spoke with amNewYork Metro about his experiences riding the subway on Thursday as he looked to hear honest, unfiltered feedback from New Yorkers — and that’s exactly what he got.
While the Big Apple is known for its towering skyscrapers, in 2024, all eyes have been fixed down below the bustling streets to the cavernous tunnels of the New York subway system. So far in 2024, several high-profile crimes — including multiple shootings — have rocked the city’s transit system, but the NYPD notes it is working overtime (literally and figuratively) to ensure the safety of riders.
All members of police brass joined the NYPD surge into the transit system throughout the day on March 21, with Caban himself joining Chief of Transit Michael Kemper to ride Uptown from Lower Manhattan. As the top cop and the transit chief entered the Chambers Street station that night, the pair said they were looking to both showcase police presence and to listen to straphangers’ opinions regarding how they feel the NYPD is handling crime underground.
In true New York fashion, some commuters showered Caban with praise while others admonished him — but that was what the top cop said he wanted to hear.
“I enjoy doing it, having real, honest conversations with people. And sometimes it’s not pretty, sometimes you hear things that you don’t want to hear, but we need that honest dialogue,” Caban told amNewYork Metro.
Shaking hands on the platform and clinging onto metal poles as the Uptown 1 train rattled along the tracks, Caban introduced himself to those aboard. One rider, Tamar Ehreneich, greeted Caban and Kemper, telling the commissioner that the enhanced police presence has made her feel safer in recent months.
“I have noticed officers and I just wanted to thank them,” Ehreneich said. “I was just saying thank you.”
Others had less complimentary feedback.
Zena Gilbert said she is unhappy about the state of homelessness in subway cars and on platforms while also complaining about transit officers’ use of cellphones.
“He needs to clean up the subway, I see people laying on the ground,” Gilbert said. “I also see officers on their cellphones by the turnstiles.”
Others complained to the top cop about fare evasion, feeling as though it is unfair that so many don’t pay when they themselves swipe on a daily basis. Caban thanked riders for telling him the changes they would like to see.
“They want more enforcement; we are focused on that. Arrests at turnstiles are up 50%,” Caban said. “They wanted to see more officers on the subway systems, and we’ve been deploying over 1,000 officers on a subway system every single day. That’s what we’re gonna continue to do, to make sure every New Yorker is safe.”
