Last year, the management of MTA set itself the goal of fully equipping all subway stations with electronic equipment that allows them to track everything that happens on the platforms and in the lobbies.
At first, this work was done without much haste. In January, less than 60% of the stations were under observation. But then the pace accelerated.
Sarah Feinberg, acting president of NYC Transit until early July, was tasked with “installing a new type of camera that can be installed faster and cheaper than traditional cameras.” MTA officials were spurred on by passengers’ outrage over the explosion of crime in the subway. Some have stated that they avoid using this mode of transport because they are afraid to travel. It worked. The program was hastily brought to an end. Now all 472 stations have television cameras. The latter was installed in Brooklyn in September at the Broadway stop on Route G.
About 70% of new cameras are not designed for local closed-circuit television networks. Therefore, the image is not immediately transferred to, say, the police department or the subway command center. But, as MTA spokesman Aaron Donovan noted, “This shortcoming is compensated by the fact that the cameras are easy to install and they provide material that can be quickly retrieved and transferred to investigate crimes.”
Where exactly is the surveillance carried out? At all entrances to the station and on the platforms themselves, as well as in the lobbies. There are no cameras on the trains yet. But as they say, the dashing trouble is the beginning. MTA is awaiting the arrival of 535 new cars produced by the Japanese company Kawasaki. They are already pre-installed with cameras. It is planned that the operation of these cars will begin in September 2022.
Newspaper headline:
“Smile: you are looking at the camera”
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