This time, as I glimpse down at the customary sight of a white box on my phone when The New York Times wishes to notify me of my current event, my heart freezes. “Panic in Brooklyn Subway: Police Hunt Gunman Who Shot 10” headlines the article, and I begin to feel worry as I continue reading the caption. It reads, “At least 23 were injured, five critically, in an attack at the 36th Street stop in Sunset Park after a man released two smoke grenades and started shooting.” The location of the shooting was right near where my mom works, and luckily when I got ahold of her, she was safe and unharmed.
The city that I used to feel so confident and independent walking alone in scares me now. Usually, when I come back from college, my instinct is to text a friend, hop on the train and see the newest movie or try a new restaurant. This past weekend, post-shooting, I stayed in my neighborhood, didn’t think once about taking the subway and even brought pepper spray when I went for a walk with my friend. The city is not safe anymore and I don’t feel safe.
While the safety of the city isn’t the worst it’s ever been, it has gotten a lot worse in the last few years. Some believe the spike is attributed to the COVID-19 pandemic, limited mental health resources, the increase in illegal gun sales or housing problems. According to NBC New York, there were 488 killings in New York City this past year, in contrast with 2017’s record low of 292. While this is not the highest number of murders that New York City has ever seen, the number of individuals injured by shooting in New York City during the pandemic increased dramatically and has stayed high. Along with shootings and crime, additional hate crimes have plagued the city as attacks on Asians have increased since the pandemic. USA Today writes, “In New York City in 2021, there were 131 confirmed anti-Asian hate crimes, second only to antisemitic hate crimes, according to the [New York Police Department]. In 2019, there was one confirmed anti-Asian hate crime.” Evidently, crime and violence in the city has increased since COVID-19, and as a soon-to-be graduate returning to New York City to begin my adult life, I am fearful of taking the subway or walking alone anywhere in the Big Apple now.
So, what can be done? Unfortunately, there is no clear-cut answer, but there are many different approaches. Mayor Eric Adams and New York City Police Commissioner Keechant Sewell are working together to ensure that a solution is implemented, such as increasing the number of police on the subways and in the 30 precincts that have recently experienced a high rate of violent crime. However, with the worry of overpolicing in the past and given the level of skepticism in the police department in recent years following the death of George Floyd and the rise of the Black Lives Matter movement, it is not the most reassuring technique, as trust in law enforcement must be rebuilt and established. Additionally, many concerns of safety tie to the growing rate of homelessness and mentally ill people on the streets and subways, which has been a huge issue New York City has tried to combat. We’ve seen a rise in punitive responses to mental illness and homelessness, with Adams’ recent efforts to forcibly remove homeless people from subways and discard their shelters and belongings. Rather than letting folks linger in subway stations and taking this aggressive approach, New York City instead needs additional supportive housing and resources, like health care and treatments, for people dealing with mental illness and addiction. In 2020, the de Blasio administration created a plan with the goal to build 300,000 affordable housing units by 2026 to accommodate and provide more low-income housing. Unfortunately, the city only reached 147,933 units as of February 2020, but de Blasio’s housing plan is something Adams could continue or follow similarly.
Not only does the city need to focus on implementing more affordable housing, but greater funding for supportive housing and community groups are possible solutions in resolving the issue of homelessness and safety of the city. Understanding, listening to and meeting the needs of a community is the first step toward fostering trust and establishing safer environments for everybody. Curbed NY writes that “supportive housing — affordable homes that provide on-site support, meals and mental health care, among other services — is one of the best ways to address the needs of vulnerable New Yorkers, according to advocates and elected officials.” Additionally, funding should be distributed to community groups in the city as they can provide immediate needs of food, shelter, clothing and sometimes treatment or medical help. New York City has many community groups, and if more money and focus is provided, these groups would be able to have more outreach and more resources to help communities. Anti-violence community groups in particular should be highlighted and offered as a solution to reduce crime as well, as research has shown that neighborhoods with more local organizations which promote public safety have lower violent crime rates.
The most terrifying aspect of receiving the notification about the subway shooting was how real it was. The shooting occurred on essential public transportation, which I, like many others, use on a regular basis and don’t think twice about. I could have been in that subway car. My mom could have been in that subway car. My friends could have been in that subway car. Anyone could have been in that subway, because the Metropolitan Transportation Authority is the most accessible, and sometimes the only, mode of transportation for people. It is unsettling and scary to feel unsafe on your way to work, school or anywhere else. As New York City recovers from last week’s events and works to discover solutions for improved safety, Lyft offered discounted rides around the city to people in response and acknowledgement of the recent tragedies, as we all have one goal: a safer New York City.
Willa Scolari is a senior majoring in psychology and is Assistant Opinions Editor.