After a series of shocking incidents on New York’s subway system in the past few weeks—including the tragic death of a woman who was set on fire on a Coney Island train—New York Governor Kathy Hochul announced on Friday that she plans to introduce new bills in her forthcoming budget to amend the state’s involuntary commitment laws and Kendra’s Law.
“The alarming rise in violent incidents within our transit system must be stopped, and we need to confront this issue directly,” said Governor Hochul in a detailed statement unveiling her legislative proposals.
“Many of these terrible events have involved individuals struggling with untreated mental health issues, stemming from a breakdown in delivering care to those living on the streets and disconnected from our mental health services,” the governor remarked. “We have a responsibility to protect the public from random acts of violence, and the most compassionate approach is to ensure these individuals receive the assistance they need.”
As part of her response, the governor revealed that she had included a proposal in her executive budget this month aimed at revising New York’s standards for involuntary commitment.
“Currently, hospitals have the authority to commit individuals whose mental conditions put themselves or others in danger of significant harm, and this new legislation will broaden that criteria to ensure more individuals get the care they require,” Hochul explained.
Additionally, the governor said she would propose complementary legislation to amend Kendra’s Law, which would improve the process by which courts can mandate certain individuals to undergo Assisted Outpatient Treatment, while also simplifying the process for those who wish to voluntarily enroll in such programs.
Kendra’s Law, as outlined on the state’s official website, provides for court-mandated assisted outpatient treatment for “certain individuals with mental illness who, based on their treatment history and current circumstances, are unlikely to live safely in the community without supervision.”
The governor urged the Legislature to take swift action on her proposed bills.
Mayor Eric Adams, who has been advocating for similar changes, expressed his support for the governor’s proposals, stating, “We are deeply grateful to Governor Hochul for listening to our concerns and those of everyday New Yorkers. We are eager to collaborate with her to develop next steps in making these changes law.”
“There is no dignity in slowly deteriorating on the streets without the means to help yourself, and no moral high ground in simply walking past those individuals and doing nothing,” the mayor stated. “We need to stop being so idealistic that we ignore the reality of the situation.”
Adams highlighted that the recent attacks demonstrate the consequences of leaving mental health issues untreated. He pointed out that his administration introduced the Supportive Interventions Act two years ago, which included a new city protocol for involuntary removals and proposed state-level legal reforms; however, the legislation has yet to move forward in committee.
At the city level, the mayor said his administration has already implemented several changes, including reopening psychiatric beds in public hospitals that were closed during the pandemic, increasing outreach staff at the Department of Homeless Services, expanding specialized shelters such as Safe Havens, and adding over 1,400 new beds. Furthermore, programs like SCOUT and PATH have been instrumental in connecting thousands of homeless individuals in the subway system to essential services.
Governor Hochul outlined the actions she has already taken to address transit crime, such as investing $1 billion in mental health services, forming mental health outreach teams, reopening nearly 1,000 inpatient psychiatric beds, and implementing new regulations on mental health facilities to ensure patients are discharged with a comprehensive treatment plan. She also noted an increase in the number of state and MTA police officers, as well as 1,000 National Guard members, stationed in the transit system, along with the installation of security cameras in every subway car.
“This issue has plagued New York for decades,” said the governor. “When I took office, I inherited nearly half a century of underinvestment in mental health care and supportive housing, which has directly contributed to the crisis we now face on our streets and in our subways.”
Hochul reaffirmed that public safety remains her highest priority, stating, “I will do everything in my power to ensure the safety of all New Yorkers.”
These proposals come in the wake of several violent subway attacks that have made headlines in recent weeks. They are also part of a larger context, as New York state prepares to implement congestion pricing, a tolling initiative aimed at encouraging more people to use the subway instead of driving. The program is scheduled to begin this Sunday.
On December 22, a man set a homeless woman on fire, fueled the flames, and watched her burn to death on an F train at the Coney Island-Stillwell Avenue subway station.
Then, on December 30, a man shoved another man onto the subway tracks at the 18th Street 1-line station in Chelsea, severely injuring the victim, who suffered a fractured skull, broken ribs, and a ruptured spleen. This attack occurred only two weeks after a similar incident at Herald Square, where a man was also shoved onto the tracks in an unprovoked assault.
On New Year’s Day, two men were injured in consecutive stabbings in Manhattan, one on the 1-train platform at the Cathedral Parkway–110th Street station in Washington Heights, and another on a 2 train near the 14th Street/Sixth Avenue station in Chelsea.
In addition, there have been various other subway-related crimes, such as a stabbing on a Brooklyn L-train platform on December 30 and the stabbing of an MTA cleaner at a Bronx 5-line station on January 2.
After the December 30 shoving incident in Chelsea, the suspect’s father spoke to the New York Times, expressing his shock over the allegations. “My son is not a bad kid at all,” he said, though he admitted to being concerned about his son’s mental health in recent weeks, noting that he had not been acting like himself.
In the Coney Island fire attack, reports indicated that the suspect struggled with substance abuse, including alcohol and K2, a synthetic drug known to cause agitation and psychosis.
{Matzav.com}