Try as I may, I just can’t seem to find the ROE (Rules of Engagement) for state-activated soldiers of the New York National Guard assigned to something called Joint Task Force Empire Shield.
Just me, but one would think that this information would be front and center for the residents of New York City, especially in light that hundreds of Guardsmen are now assigned to the New York subway system armed with M-16A4 rifles and M17 pistols.
When I say hundreds, I mean hundreds. According to a days-old report from Spectrum News NY1.com (emphasis mine);
Gov. Kathy Hochul announced Wednesday she is deploying 250 additional National Guard members to help support the city’s subway system.
The governor initially deployed 750 National Guard members, and a combined 250 New York State Police and MTA Police personnel, into the system in March to help with NYPD bag checks.
Yeah, this is a government project.
Hold up. What was that last line?
“Checking bags”?? Wow… there must be some awfully secure purses, brief cases and backpacks, huh?
Well, not really. As reported by Fox5NY.com from earlier this year;
How will the bag searching process work?
“Randomly,” Hochul said.
What happens if you don’t want your bag searched?
“Then go home,” Hochul said. “We’re not going to search you, you can say no. But you’re not taking the subway.”
Oh, “randomly”… how nice. To add insult to injury, Rudy’s ever effective “Stop and frisk” is off the table. Absolute and utter stupidity.
The closest thing I could find regarding ROE was a “Fact Sheet” from the NY National Guard. Nothing about the ROE, but they did officially verify their existence.
But there is hope.
While heavily armed cops and Guardsmen are randomly peeking into purses, Curtis Sliwa is resurrecting his Guardian Angels to actually put forth a show of force to protect vulnerable strap-hangers.
The Guardian Angels are resuming their patrols of the Big Apple’s subways as if it were crime-riddled Gotham in 1979, after the horrifying arson murder of a sleeping straphanger on a train last week, founder Curtis Sliwa said Sunday.
The red-beret-wearing volunteer vigilante squad is beefing up its ranks to its level 45 years ago, Sliwa said.
“We’re going to have to increase our numbers, increase the training and increase our presence as we did back in 1979,” Sliwa said at the Stillwell Avenue-Coney Island station in Brooklyn where the woman was killed.
Guardian Angels rally for subway hero, Bernie Goetz, NYC – 1985.