Kathy Hochul announced plans on Wednesday (6 March) to send the National Guard to the New York City subway system to help police conduct random searches of riders’ bags for weapons following a series of high-profile crimes on city trains. The New York governor said she will deploy 750 members of the National Guard to the transport network to assist the New York Police Department with checks at entrances to busy train stations. Ms Hochul said the measure will create a “deterrent effect.” The move came as part of a larger effort from the governor’s office to address crime in the subway.