'Operation fare play': NYPD launches operation to combat subway fare evasion

The New York City Police Department (NYPD) is implementing a fresh initiative this week, deploying additional officers into the city's subway system to tackle fare evasions, the New York Post reported. 

Dubbed "Operation Fare Play," the initiative sees hundreds of officers being dispatched underground to various stations across the city. The major concern of personnel on this shift will be checking turnstiles' operation to ensure paid fares.

From Monday and onwards, members of public can anticipate the increased presence of police which should last the entire week at the very least. 

This method of governance recapitulates a spate of recent high-profile incidents within the transit system, where the NYPD leaders have pointed out a rise in related crimes as the main reason.

The idea to boost subway security rises as a direct reaction to various incidents, of which A train in Brooklyn is a good example, where shots were fired during a dispute close to the Hoyt-Schermerhorn station. 

Despite the accidents still being rare, we must take a closer look at the safety options. Though the general reduction in the number of major crimes and murders exhibits only a slight decline compared with the previous year, the occurrence of severe cases highlights the need for active and effective policing.

According to the NYPD, subway crime dropped 15.5% compared to the prior 12 months, partly because of the fact that transit cops started performing baggage search last month.