Need to get around New York City? Many folks take the subway. But not everyone pays for a ticket. Now the city will send 800 police officers to stop stolen rides.

New York City in New York boasts the busiest subway system in the United States. Millions of people ride the subway every day. To board, they go through turnstiles. Metal bars block the entrance at waist height. They open if you’ve bought a ticket.

A single subway ride costs $2.90. Multiple-ride or monthly passes can cut the cost. But some people jump over the closed turnstiles. That’s called fare-beating. It’s a type of stealing.

Turnstile-jumpers might not feel like they’re stealing. They think, “What does $2.90 matter to a big city like New York?” But stolen rides add up. City officials say turnstile-jumping costs the city millions of dollars each year. And some officials say people who steal rides might commit other crimes on the subway. Michael Kemper works for the New York Police Department. He helps keep public transport safe. “The tone of law and order starts at the turnstiles,” he says.

Police are already cracking down. Since January, they arrested over 1,700 turnstile-jumpers. They also fined over 28,000 people.

Hundreds of extra police officers will soon patrol the subway system. Some will wear uniforms. Others will dress like ordinary riders. They will go to various stations.

New York’s governor is Kathy Hochul. She announced her own subway safety plans. She’s sending National Guard troops to check passengers’ bags. They will make sure nobody hides weapons.

The Bible tells us not to steal. (Exodus 20:15) In New York, taxpayer money helps keep subways running. Turnstile-jumpers aren’t just robbing their city. They’re robbing their neighbors. Can 800 extra police officers catch the fare-beaters?

Let the thief no longer steal, but rather let him labor, doing honest work with his own hands, so that he may have something to share with anyone in need. — Ephesians 4:28