City officials are ramping up efforts to eliminate subway surfing after the tragic death of a 13-year-old girl from Brownsville who was engaging in the dangerous activity in Queens. This incident marks one of six fatalities linked to subway surfing in New York City this year.

In September, an 11-year-old boy was also killed while subway surfing at the Fourth Avenue-Ninth Street station. In response to the rising number of incidents, city leaders are making their drone surveillance program permanent and are encouraging the public to do their part.

Drones will be deployed during after-school hours on popular subway lines. If the drones detect someone riding on top of a train, the train will be halted, and the individual will be removed from the roof. According to the NYPD, these efforts have already saved the lives of 114 individuals aged between 9 and 33 this year.

In addition to drone surveillance, city officials are urging the public to report subway surfing activities by calling 911. Mayor Eric Adams highlighted the role of social media in promoting subway surfing and emphasized ongoing collaboration with media companies to address the issue and remove videos.