REMARKS
Council Member Rita Joseph addresses the dangers of subway surfing and the need for education and prevention
0:09:54
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3 min
Council Member Rita Joseph, chair of the education committee, addresses the critical issue of subway surfing in NYC. She emphasizes the need for a comprehensive approach involving education, prevention, and community engagement to combat this dangerous trend among youth.
- Highlights the 366% increase in subway surfing incidents from 2020-2023
- Discusses the "Ride Inside, Stay Alive" campaign and its youth engagement efforts
- Calls for evaluation of current interventions and exploration of innovative strategies by various city agencies
Rita Joseph
0:09:54
Thank you, chair Salam, and thank you to chair Brooks Powers for inviting the committee on education to join the committees on transportation and infrastructure, public safety, and children and youth for this very important hearing topic.
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I'm Rita Joseph, chair of the education committee.
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Thank you to everyone who is planning to testify today.
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I'm looking very much looking forward to hearing your testimony.
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Subway surfing is a dangerous and often fatal activity that has tragically claimed the lives of young New Yorkers and put countless others at risk.
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With the report, 366% increase in subway surfing incidents between 2020 2023.
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It is clear that we are facing a growing crisis.
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Alarmingly, those engaged in this behavior are often teenagers, our students, our children.
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As the chair of the education committee, I believe we must approach this issue not just through enforcement, but also with education prevention and community engagement.
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New York City public schools play a vital role in this effort.
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With nearly 1,000,000 students under its guidance, New York City public schools has a unique opportunity to shape how we educate our youth about danger of risky behaviors, particularly those amplified by social media.
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The subway surfing kills ride inside stay alive campaign launched last year by MTA in partnership with New York City Public Schools, NYPD, and DYCD is a step in the right direction.
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The campaign emphasis on youth participation through student design graphics, social media posts, and school based outreach demonstrate how engaging students directly can foster a peer driven culture of safety.
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However, we need to evaluate whether these efforts are enough.
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Are the resources provided to schools, such as palm cards, posters, anti surfing messaging on metro cards?
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Reaching out reaching students most at risk, are educators adequately equipped to discuss the life threatening consequences of subway surfing with their students.
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Do New York City public schools' social media guide guidelines appropriately address risky behaviors like subway surfing?
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And importantly, how can New York City public schools work with parents and communities to combat these harmful trends.
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Today, we will hear from New York City Public Schools, MTA, NYPD, and DYCD to assess the effectiveness of current interventions and identify what more can be done to combat this dangerous trend.
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The hearing will provide an opportunity to explore how interagency collaboration can create a comprehensive solution focused on education, deterrence, and enforcement.
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I look forward to learning how New York City Public School is engaging students and their families in conversation about subway safety, particularly through the lens of social media influence.
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I'm also particularly interested in learning how MTA and NYPD are leveraging innovative strategies, such as the use of drone to monitor and deter these behaviors.
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Additionally, I hope to get insight into DYCD's role in providing youth focused programming and resources to steer young people away from risky activities like subway surfing.
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By examining how these agencies are working both individually and collaboratively, we can identify gaps in the current approach and craft a meaningful public policy to better protect our city youth.
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Thank you to the committee staff as well as my own staff for all the work they have put into today's hearing.
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I will now turn it over to chair Stevens.
