Hochul to Add More Cops in New York as Polls Show GOP's Zeldin Could Win

New York Governor Kathy Hochul announced on Saturday that she will add more police officers to patrol the New York City subways as she faces a tight race against GOP Representative Lee Zeldin, who has focused his campaign on the state's rising crime.

Nearly every type of crime has increased in New York City this year, complicating Hochul's bid to win her first full term in office. Even though New York is among the most Democratic-friendly states, several recent polls show Zeldin closing in on the governor—with one even showing him with a narrow lead. In addition, Republicans across the country have hit out at Democrats for embracing what they view as "soft-on-crime" policies.

Hochul announced funding for new efforts to deploy more New York Police Department (NYPD) and transit officers in subway stations and trains, expansions for crisis intervention training and installing surveillance cameras in every subway car.

"My first priority as governor is to protect New Yorkers," Hochul wrote on Twitter. "Through this strategy — adding more cops, installing more cameras, and providing more care — we will combat subway crime and keep riders safe."

Hochul, during a press conference announcing the new safety plan, added the crime issue is "not something we've started thinking about recently."

Crime in New York City has risen by 31 percent so far in 2022, with property crimes seeing the highest increase, according to NYPD data. Robberies have increased 34 percent, grand larceny by 40.6 percent and burglaries by 31 percent. The notable exception is murders, which are down nearly 15 percent from 2021.

Crime has also spilled over into the subways. On Friday, a 32-year-old man was knocked onto the subway rails—but was not struck by a train—at the Wycoff Avenue and Myrtle Avenue subway station, according to the NYPD's Twitter.

Republicans blame the rise in crime on criminal justice reform policies, including the end of cash bail. Progressives and Democrats point to other factors, such as economic strain and the COVID-19 pandemic, as being more instrumental in rising crime.

Hochul has doubled down on her support for law enforcement in the weeks leading up to Election Day, as polls show Zeldin, who currently represents the state's 1st Congressional District, gains ground. She also touted efforts to strengthen bail laws and crack down on illegal guns in a campaign advertisement last week.

Polls Show New York Governor Race Tightening

Hochul is still seen as the favorite to win, as nearly every poll shows her leading Zeldin. However, a new poll released this week showed her challenger with a single-point lead.

The co/efficient poll found Zeldin winning 46 percent of support from likely voters, compared to Hochul's 45 percent. Nine percent of respondents said they remained unsure who they would vote for. The pollster surveyed 1,056 likely voters from October 18 to 19, and the poll had a margin of error of 3.31 percentage points.

Other polls have found more favorable results for Hochul, who was expected to sail to reelection in the state where politics are largely defined by deeply Democratic New York City.

A recent Survey USA poll found Hochul with a 6-point lead, winning 47 percent of the vote compared to Zeldin's 41 percent. The poll questioned 702 likely voters and had a credibility interval of plus or minus 5.4 percentage points. Hochul leads by an average of 6.8 percentage points, according to FiveThirtyEight's aggregate of recent polls.

Her predecessor, former Governor Andrew Cuomo, won reelection by more than 20 points in 2018. Hochul assumed the governor's office when he resigned last year following a report from the state's Attorney General Letitia James, which indicated that he sexually harassed several women.

Newsweek reached out to Hochul's and Zeldin's campaign for comment.