More Cops On LIRR, Metro-North Trains Amid Major Crimes Spike: Reports

LONG ISLAND, NY — A special unit of police officers will be deployed by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority to ride Long Island Rail Road trains due to increased safety concerns among riders and employees and a spike in crime, according to published reports.

MTA officials told News 12 that major crimes on the LIRR were up by 71 percent through the first half of 2022.

Metropolitan Transportation Authority Police Commissioner John Mueller announced at a meeting of the MTA Board that the “train patrol unit” will include about 60 officers who are “dedicated exclusively” to riding LIRR and Metro-North trains, Newsday reported.

The unit will be made up of existing staff and is expected to be deployed in January, beginning their shifts at 5 a.m. at Long Island stations, then riding trains into New York City, before making the return trip back east during the evening rush hour, according to the outlet.

Mueller said the officers will board trains at opposite ends of a station platform, working their way to the middle of a train and having “a lot of interaction with riders,” according to the outlet.

Canine and special operations personnel will also be stationed at train platforms, the outlet reported.

Long Island Rail Road Commuter Council Chairman Jerry Bringmann told News12 that the move is part of an effort to ensure LIRR trains are safer, which officials hope will encourage more riders to return.