The New York City Police Department (NYPD) has turned to drones to combat a growing trend of “subway surfing,” or riding on top of above-ground subway cars.
In a recent press conference, the NYPD urged New Yorkers to call 911 if they observe anyone attempting to subway surf, which has grown in popularity after videos have gone viral across social media platforms. NYPD Interm Commissioner Thomas Donlon explained the police force is using 911 call data to deploy joint drone and field response teams of officers to areas experiencing the highest complaints of subway surfing.
Using 911 calls, the NYPD then uses drones to canvass moving trains for subway surfers. Once a subway surfer is found, a field team will hold the train at the next station and remove them. Touting the success of the program, the NYPD explained that thus far the program has helped save the lives of 114 individuals – ranging from nine years old to 33 years old, and the average age being 14 years old.
“Subway surfing is not just a reckless stunt; it poses a real danger to our communities and has tragically resulted in the senseless deaths of New Yorkers,” said Bronx Borough President Vanessa Gibson. “We must prioritize the safety of all riders and work together to put an end to this dangerous trend. The NYPD’s use of 911 call data to deploy drone and field response teams to areas with high reports of subway surfing is a crucial step in addressing this issue. We need every New Yorker to help us combat this dangerous behavior and ensure our subway system is safe for everyone.”
In addition to using drones, the city has also launched the “Subway Surfing Kills – Ride Inside, Stay Alive” campaign. The campaign is a multi-channel public information campaign in partnership with the New York City Public Schools, the NYPD, and the New York City Department of Youth and Community Development.
The campaign includes public service announcements in stations recorded by students; digital signage across stations; student-created graphics and animations; posters and banners across stations and distributed in schools; physical palm cards distributed at schools and in stations; school swag; social media posts across platforms, including TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube in the form of posts, reels/shorts, and influencer collaborations; distribution of new student MetroCards accompanied by a “Subway Surfing Kills – Ride Inside, Stay Alive” palm cards; and anti-surfing messages on the back of some MetroCards for sale in subway station MetroCard vending machines.
Additionally, Meta, Google, and TikTok also made space available on their platforms to help amplify the new messaging campaign. Through a partnership with New York Governor Kathy Hochul’s office, Google also made space available for the campaign to play on YouTube.
