Cruising crackdown at this NYC train station bathroom results in 200 arrests by cops

There has been a reported police crackdown on a particular men’s restroom at Penn Station in New York City. It has resulted in a reported 200 arrests since the start of June and around 20 detentions by ICE.

By comparison, records show only 12 men arrested in the first five months of the year. Following complaints from other members of the public, Amtrak police began their aggressive crackdown at the start of Pride Month, and it still continues. On one day this month, there were 20 arrests alone.

According to the Gothamist, it’s the bathroom near the Penn Station entrance at Eighth Avenue and 31st Street. According to the outlet, the location has become a Sniffies hotspot.

Users of the hookup website are now sounding the alarm to other cruisers, but it’s often falling on deaf ears.

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Speaking to the Gothamist anonymously, one cop said undercover officers had been sent into the restroom to make the arrests.

Amtrak Deputy Police Chief Martin Conway confirmed some of those arrested were handed over to ICE.

Under state laws, New York police departments are banned from handing people over to ICE. However, Amtrak police are a federal agency.

“Naturally, we are going to address the conditions,” Conway told The Gothamist about the complaints that led to the crackdown. “ We continue to patrol the restrooms and if and when we find any criminal activity, we do make arrests.”

Off-duty cop arrested

The anonymous police source said the undercover cops were lurking in the cubicles with body-worn cameras, or standing at the urinals. Men faced charges of alleged public lewdness or indecent exposure.

Earlier this month, one of those arrested was an off-duty NYPD sergeant. Court records show that his case was dropped on Tuesday.

Sniffies has an open chat room for Penn Station, and users have been logging when police are present. Some suggest using alternative restrooms, such as the Moynihan Train Hall. That one’s not owned by Amtrak.

David, a 31-year-old health care worker, told The City that police arrested him while he was using the restroom to pee. He was on his way back from New Jersey and wearing a rainbow wristband at the time. He felt he was being watched by another man and struggled to urinate. Because of this, he was at the urinal for some time.

Eventually, the other man walked over to David and told him he was being arrested. Cops also arrested two other men standing at nearby urinals.

“I was never arrested in my life,” David said. “It was traumatizing.”

David was released almost three hours later with an order for him to show up at the Manhattan Criminal Court at 100 Centre St., where the charge was eventually dropped after he participated in a diversion program.

Last week, a TikTok video from an attorney warning people about the police activity at Penn Station received over 330k views.

@profjaredtrujillo Be safe!! Amtrak officers are using Sniffies and otherwise approaching people in the men's Amtrak bathroom at Penn Statuon and charging them with lewdness #sniffies #NYC #civilrightawyer #amtrak #pennstation ♬ original sound – Prof. Jared Trujillo

On Friday, (26/9), four lawmakers sent a letter to Amtrak President Roger Harris. In it, they expressed their “outrage regarding recent reporting that Amtrak, through the Amtrak Police, has initiated an organized arrest campaign at a men’s bathroom at Penn Station targeting members of the LGBTQ community using undercover plainclothes police officers.”

“While Amtrak is entitled to ensure that its facilities are not used for illicit purposes, we do not believe Amtrak should be doing so with a hostile arrest campaign reminiscent of anti-LGBTQ policing from the Stonewall era.

The letter was authored by Rep. Jerrold Nadler, and signed by State Sen. Brad Hoylman-Sigal, State Sen. Liz Krueger, and Assemblymember Tony Simone.

Today @SenatorHoylman, @LizKrueger, @TonySimone and I sent a letter to @Amtrak President Harris demanding Amtrak Police stop using discriminatory tactics to target and arrest the LGBTQ community. https://t.co/dWS3cFO9xq— Rep. Nadler (@RepJerryNadler) September 26, 2025

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