On July 27th, BLACKPINK made history as the first K-pop girl group to headline New York City’s Citi Field, a milestone moment that brought tens of thousands of fans together in celebration. But while the concert was unforgettable for all the right reasons, what unfolded afterward at the MTA station nearby was memorable for all the wrong ones.
As seen in this video, the scene at the MTA station was chaotic — thousands of concertgoers bottlenecked at the entrance, with little to no coordination, direction, or visible effort to manage the crowd effectively. In a city known for its density and world-class infrastructure, this shouldn’t be the norm — and yet, this is becoming all too familiar.
From our perspective at Kings Security Services, this is a classic example of misplaced priorities. The MTA employs security primarily for one thing: fare enforcement. Guards are positioned at emergency exits to prevent turnstile-jumpers, not to help guide the public or ensure commuter safety. While fare evasion is a valid concern, it pales in comparison to the risk posed by thousands of people funneled into a poorly managed station after a major event.
We believe security should be proactive, not reactive. After large events like concerts, games, and parades, transit security should shift focus to crowd control, public safety, and crisis mitigation — not just revenue protection. Guards should be trained and deployed to keep foot traffic flowing, assist with navigation, de-escalate conflicts, and respond to potential emergencies.
Adding insult to injury, the MTA is now proposing a fare hike to $3 per ride by 2026. That’s a steep price to pay for service that, frankly, doesn’t feel like it prioritizes the safety of New Yorkers or the millions of visitors who rely on our transit system every year. If the cost of riding is going up, so should the quality of safety and service.
Security isn’t just about gates, locks, or turnstiles. It’s about people. It’s about planning. And it’s about presence. As a firm that specializes in event security, concierge staffing, and crowd management, we know the value that trained, service-minded guards can bring — not just in preventing problems, but in ensuring people leave with a positive impression of their experience.
The City of New York deserves better. Transit security should be more than a deterrent to fare evasion; it should be a pillar of public safety and civic hospitality. We hope this moment prompts the MTA and other agencies to rethink their approach — because the next big event shouldn’t be defined by what went wrong after the music stopped.
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Kings Security Services Inc.
Guarding People, Not Just Property.
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