Commuters at the Pelham Bay Park 6 train station expressed concerns following a series of random attacks reported Saturday, including what NYPD says was a random stabbing at Grand Central Terminal.
Riders said the violence has shaken their sense of safety in the transit system.
When asked whether he feels safe on the trains, one commuter, Alvin, responded bluntly.
“Of course not,” he told News 12.
That sentiment was echoed by others Sunday afternoon as they boarded various forms of transportation. Alvin said he now chooses to take the express bus downtown instead of the subway.
Police said on Saturday a 44-year-old man randomly stabbed three elderly people with a machete at Grand Central Terminal. Authorities said police later shot and killed the suspect after he refused repeated commands to drop the weapon.
The attack comes as city data shows transit crime is down this year compared with last year.
Commuters, however, said the statistics do little to reassure them and called for stronger safety measures.
NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch said, despite the incident, that more than 175 additional officers have been deployed to patrol the subway system, alongside ongoing transit overtime efforts, to prevent violence and respond quickly to emergencies.