Mayor Bill de Blasio announced on Monday the addition of 250 police officers to the subway system, bringing the total NYPD presence to more than 3,000, which is the highest it has been in 25 years.

The announcement, made on the same day subways returned to 24/7 service, comes after months of pressure by the MTA to put more police officers underground and following a spate of attacks last week that has raised questions about safety in the public transit system.

“We’re going to send a very powerful message that we’re putting in the resources everyday, whatever it takes to get the job done," de Blasio said during a news conference. 

These additional officers will be deployed “in the right places in the subway at the right time, particularly at the peak time of ridership,” de Blasio added.

The mayor emphasized the importance of these additional officers until more people return to the subways.

“Everyone coming back to the subways makes the subways safer,” the mayor said. “This is just a really important, common sense point, and our public safety professionals affirm it: more and more New Yorkers come back to the subways, the subways get safer.”

He also called on the Metropolitan Transit Authority to meet the need of this moment as well and said the NYPD would provide free training for those additional officers.

"NYPD is stepping up, MTA. Why don't you step up as well?" he asked.

During a news conference Monday afternoon, MTA chairman and CEO Patrick Foye and NYC Transit interim president Sarah Feinberg thanked de Blasio and Police Commissioner Dermot Shea for the additional police support.

They also called on de Blasio for assurances that the 250 additional NYPD officers remain in the subway system throughout the entirety of the city’s recovery from the pandemic.

“Now we need a commitment from City Hall that these patrols will remain dedicated to the transit system as we recover,” Foye said. “That is what we need to recover strong and build back better.”

Feinberg echoed Foye’s plea, while also emphasizing the de Blasio administration’s months-long shift in tone and policy on policing the subway system.

“A few weeks ago we kept hearing from the city that crime in the system is at an all-time low,” Feinberg said. “Then, that there was no problem at all and that the MTA was just fear mongering. Then, it shifted to ‘I’m not denying that subway crime is a challenge, it’s just not our only challenge.’ Then, ’the tide needs to turn and the NYPD will do it.’ Then, ‘We are going to keep putting massive resources into this fight to keep our subways safe.’ And finally, today, acknowledging the problem, acknowledging that in order to bring the city back, to bring the economy back, transit has to come back, and that in order for that to happen, real and significant steps have to be taken in order to bring safety, security and confidence back. And finally, today, the mayor said he would do whatever it takes.”

In an interview on "Mornings on 1" before the mayor's announcement, Feinberg said she’s doubled the amount of security contractors in the system.