Mayor Adams, Governor Hochul Tout Significant Decline In Subway Crime

New York City Mayor Eric Adams, New York Governor Kathy Hochul, New York City Police Department (NYPD) Commissioner Edward A. Caban.

Including Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) Chair and CEO Janno Lieber today celebrated new data released by the NYPD, showing new milestones in the city and MTA’s efforts to make New York City’s subways even safer. Transit crime is down 44.4 percent this week compared to the same week last year, down 26.6 percent over the last four weeks compared to the same time period last year, and down 7.8 percent year to date compared to 2023.

“New York remains the safest big city in America …”

“Our public transit system is the lifeblood of our city, and keeping New Yorkers safe on the subway is key to ensuring that New York remains the safest big city in America,” said Mayor Adams. “Today, it is clear: thanks to our efforts, our subways are getting even safer. We’ve had five straight months of double-digit decreases in overall subway crime after we surged more than 1,000 additional officers into the system in February, and, so far, in July, we’re on track for a sixth month of safer subways. Today, other than during the pandemic, our transit system is the safest it’s been in 14 years, with the lowest number of robberies in recorded history — and we’re committed to making our subways even safer. I’m grateful to have partners in Governor Hochul, NYPD Commissioner Caban, and MTA Chair and CEO Lieber who share our commitment to making the safest city in the country even safer.”

“Keeping New Yorkers safe is my top priority, and it’s clear that the proactive measures we’re taking to prevent and reduce violence on our subways are working,” said Governor Hochul. “Secure, reliable transit is a necessity for residents and visitors in our great city. With continued partnership with Mayor Adams, Chairman Lieber and our partners in law enforcement, we will continue to do everything in our power to keep the system safe.” 

“The tireless efforts of the men and women of the NYPD are making a remarkable impact on the overall safety and quality of life of all New Yorkers, both on the streets and throughout our vast transit system,” said NYPD Commissioner Caban. “With subway ridership steadily increasing, the NYPD continues to deploy its resources to stations, platforms, and trains in a strategic, intelligence-driven manner that is lifting every neighborhood and improving the lives of all the people we serve in communities across our great city.”

“Look to any city in the country and you will see the same thing: safety is the prerequisite for success of public transportation. The Adams administration is leading the way to ensure that our transit system is safe, with additional support from the NYPD and compassionate care for New Yorkers experiencing mental health crises,” said Deputy Mayor for Operations and MTA Board Member Meera Joshi. “As New Yorkers go about their days, going to work and school, picking up their kids, going out for the night, they should be confident that they’ll get where they’re going without incident. Today, thanks to the hard-working staff at the NYPD and MTA, and our partners across every level of government, we can safely say that that confidence is warranted.”

“Our public safety mission is a 24/7 endeavor, just like the New York City subway system,” said NYPD Chief of Transit Michael Kemper. “And while public safety continues to be a shared responsibility between the entire criminal justice system and the people we serve, it is the ongoing investment in transit safety by City Hall and NYPD leadership — implemented by NYPD officers — that has led to this year’s notable reduction in subway crime.”

“Governor Hochul and Mayor Adams have made subway safety a priority, and the results are in,” said MTA Chair and CEO Lieber. “In the first half of 2024, subways had both the lowest daily crime rate in 14 years and the third lowest in the 28 years since NYPD has been collecting this data when discounting the pandemic.”

“… transit crime was down …”

If current trends continue, July will be the sixth consecutive month with a double-digit decrease in subway crime. Last year, overall crime in the transit system fell nearly 3 percent compared to 2022, as the number of riders increased by 14 percent. This year, transit crime was down 15.4 percent in February, 23.5 percent in March, 23 percent in April, 10.6 percent in May, and 15.3 percent in June.

The massive reduction in subway crime came in February, after Mayor Adams directed the NYPD to surge an additional 1,000 police officers into the subway system each day to help keep New Yorkers safe. Additionally, in March, the NYPD announced “Operation Fare Play,” an initiative to ensure riders pay their fare when entering the subway system by deploying 800 more police officers into the subway system to crack down on fare evasion. The successful operation has helped correct behavior and kept the subway system safe.