What's really going on here? New York deploys the National Guard to screen bags on the subway

NEW YORK CITY, NY - New York City has deployed 750 National Guard troops and added 250 law enforcement personnel, but something doesn't add up.

Transit crime increased by 45% in January but decreased by 15% in February compared to the previous year, so transit crime was already trending down.

In response to safety concerns, Gov. Kathy Hochul revealed plans to enforce random bag inspections on the subway. Individuals can refuse; however, authorities can prevent you from entering. No metal detectors are in place, and pat-downs are not being conducted.

Hochul said, "For people who are thinking about bringing a gun or knife on the subway, at least this creates a deterrent effect. They might be thinking, 'You know what, it just may just not be worth it because I listened to the mayor, and I listened to the governor, and they have a lot more people who are going to be checking my bags."

However, bag searches become questionable in terms of effectiveness when considering that criminals often commit crimes using easily concealable objects such as knives. A bottle and even a hammer in the past week have been used to attack someone on the subway.

Ironically, it appears that someone stabbed a man at 2 a.m. after these safety measures were put into place. As the victim was getting off the train, he witnessed two guys harassing and attacking a woman. When the victim tried to help, he got attacked and stabbed in the right hand.

In addition, Hochul proposed legislation that would allow judges to ban criminals from riding the New York City subway.

"So basically, if you assault someone on the subways, you won't be on the subways," Hochul said. "And a judge will now have the power to make sure that for at least three years, they'll have the ability to keep you off the subways."

Hochul didn't mention more aggressive prosecution or stronger sentencing. The fact that transit crime has decreased in the past month doesn't seem to support the decision to deploy troops. It also does nothing to address the violence in the rest of the city.