NEW YORK — New York City subway riders saw the National Guard and other agencies out in force Thursday morning, as random bag checks return.
The increased police presence comes as another rider was attacked overnight in the Bronx. A 53-year-old man was stabbed in the hand at the Pelham Parkway station after investigators said he stood up for an elderly woman who was being harassed.
Several violent subway incidents have been reported in past weeks, including assaults on riders and transit workers .
On Wednesday, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul announced the National Guard and State Police are being deployed to help the NYPD conduct subway bag checks in response to the rising in crime .
Watch Gov. Hochul’s announcement
CBS New York’s Elijah Westbrook spoke with riders Thursday at the busy Times Square-42nd Street station, where NYPD counterterrorism agents could be seen holding machine guns and transit officers stood at the entrances.