Based on Calls from Concerned Citizens, NYPD Drone Teams Have Saved More Than 100 New Yorkers’ Lives in Last 12 Months
New York City Mayor Eric Adams, New York City Police Department (NYPD) Interim Commissioner Thomas G. Donlon, and New York City Public Schools Chancellor Melissa Aviles-Ramos today urged New Yorkers to call 911 if they see attempts at subway surfing and highlighted the administration’s efforts to leverage technology to combat the dangerous trend on the heels of a recent tragic incident that claimed one young New Yorker’s life and injured another. To help save lives, NYPD is utilizing 911 call data to deploy joint drone and field response teams of officers to areas experiencing the highest complaints of subway surfing. Using the most accurate information —calls by concerned citizens — these teams deploy drones to canvass moving trains for subway surfers. Once a subway surfer is found, a field team will hold the train at the next station and remove them. To date, this program has helped save the lives of 114 individuals — ranging from nine years old to 33 years old, and the average age being 14 years old.
“Subway surfing is a deadly trap, one that is endangering more and more young people who see others doing it on social media,” said Mayor Adams. “But those five minutes of online fame could lead to years of regret and pain, or a lifetime of trauma and heartbreak for a family that loses a child. Think about what riding on top of trains really means: the possibility of death and your family, in grief, wondering what more they could have done to protect you. Subway surfing kills — ride inside, stay alive.”
“There is nothing more heartbreaking than the death of a child, especially to such a needless tragedy,” said Deputy Mayor for Public Safety Chauncey Parker. “We are going to continue to do everything in our power to prevent these deaths, but we need help. We need every single parent, caretaker, and role model to impress upon the young people in your life that no thrill and no social media attention is worth dying for. And we especially need young people to speak up to their friends before it’s too late. Together, we can and will put an end to this.”
“Riding outside or on top of a moving train is extremely dangerous, it is illegal, and it has repeatedly proven to be lethal,” said NYPD Interim Commissioner Thomas G. Donlon. “The NYPD will continue to do everything possible to stop this reckless behavior — but it starts with sound decision-making. Our message to New York City’s young people is clear: There is nothing cool about senselessly losing your life. Be smart, be safe, and always ride inside the train.”
“Let us be clear: subway surfing is not a harmless thrill. When children engage in subway surfing, they die. Every loss of a young life to this extremely dangerous activity rips a hole in our city and in our communities, and leaves only grief for the loved ones left behind,” said Public Schools Chancellor Aviles-Ramos. “New York City Public Schools is united with our partners across city and state government in the effort to ensure every child understands the genuine dangers of riding outside of the train. A moment’s adventure is not worth your limbs, your life, or your future. It’s crucial that our children understand that the choice of a moment is a decision that they may never have the opportunity to take back. We believe the voices of our students are our best and most effective communicators, which is why we partnered with the young creative minds of our classrooms in developing the original ‘Subway Surfing Kills: Ride Inside, Stay Alive’ campaign — created by students, for students — which we’ve backed up with trainings alongside the MTA directly in our schools in hot spot areas. New York City Public Schools is committed to getting this simple truth out to our students: subway surfing kills.”
In addition to the increased enforcement, New York City is continuing to highlight the “Subway Surfing Kills – Ride Inside, Stay Alive” campaign launched by Mayor Adams, Governor Hochul, and the Metropolitan Transit Authority in September 2023. This comprehensive, multi-channel public information campaign in partnership with the New York City Public Schools, the NYPD, and the New York City Department of Youth and Community Development was designed for and was created by New York City teenagers — putting the youth voice front and center in a peer-to-peer effort to deter this dangerous behavior among young people. The campaign’s electronic fliers were disseminated at all 1,800 New York City Public Schools locations. Additionally, anti-subway surfing posters and palm cards were distributed to schools in proximity to the J, M, Z, and 7 train lines, which garner the most subway surfing complaints.
“Subway Surfing Kills – Ride Inside, Stay Alive” includes public service announcements in stations recorded by students; digital signage across stations; student-created graphics and animations; posters and banners across stations and distributed in schools; physical palm cards distributed at schools and in stations; school swag including planners, pens and pencils, notepads, and sticky notes; social media posts across platforms, including TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube in the form of posts, reels/shorts, and influencer collaborations; distribution of new student MetroCards accompanied by a “Subway Surfing Kills – Ride Inside, Stay Alive” palm cards; and anti-surfing messages on the back of some MetroCards for sale in subway station MetroCard vending machines. Meta, Google, and TikTok also made space available on their platforms to help amplify the new messaging campaign. Through a partnership with New York Governor Kathy Hochul’s office, Google also made space available for the campaign to play on YouTube.
In February, Mayor Adams also announced a lawsuit against social media companies for the negative impacts they have had on young people. The lawsuit cited subway surfing as one of the examples. The lawsuit — filed in California Superior Court by the City of New York, the DOE (the largest school district in the nation), and NYC Health + Hospitals (the country's largest public hospital system) — seeks to hold the companies operating TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat, and YouTube accountable for their role in creating the youth mental health crisis in New York City. The lawsuit alleges that companies intentionally designed their platforms to manipulate and addict children and teens to social media applications.
“Under Mayor Adams, we have engaged in unprecedented work to protect our children from the pitfalls of social media,” said State Assemblymember Jenifer Rajkumar. “In Albany I helped pass the SAFE for Kids Act to end addictive feeds that lure in children, and we filed a historic lawsuit against social media companies for the health threat they pose. Subway surfing is one of the most tragic and vivid examples of social media’s hazards. This disturbing social media trend has taken the lives of at least six people in 2024 alone. Our new life-saving tech intervention is cracking down on this dangerous activity happening every day. Utilizing 911 data, we are deploying field teams and drones to catch subway surfers before they are killed or critically injured—already saving 106 people from unspeakable tragedy. Together, we will end toxicity on social media and make subway surfing history.”
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