Subway crime fell to record lows this summer.
Overall transit crime from June 1 to August 31 was down nearly 10% from 2024 and 16.8% from the summer of 2019, according to Governor Kathy Hochul and Janno Lieber, chair and chief executive officer of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority.
Year-to-date, transit crime is at record lows, while subway ridership is up 9%, with over 311 million rides taken during the summer months.
“When I took office, I vowed to drive down subway crime and keep it down. With strategic investments in public safety and targeted interventions, crimes across our subway system have officially reached record lows,” Hochul said in a statement. “All New Yorkers deserve to feel safe on public transit — and I am committed to continuing investments that make our subways and streets safe.”
Transit felony assaults have been down every month this summer when compared to 2024. Together, June, July and August have had 119 felony assaults — compared to 150 last year — a reduction of 21%. There were 0.38 assaults per one million subway riders between June 1 and August 31. Accounting for increases in ridership, there were 1.59 major crimes per one million subway rides this summer, down 30% from 2022 and in line with pre-pandemic lows.
According to NYPD statistics, July and August have been especially safe months, with new data confirming both were the safest July and August in history. Overall transit crime was down 22.8% in August compared to August 2024, and felony assaults were down 40.4% compared to last year. Robberies were down 34% in the subway system in August compared to 2024.
Progress was also made in responding to mental health challenges. Subway Co-Response Outreach Teams (SCOUT) pair mental health clinicians with MTA police officers, to provide a clinician-led approach to individuals with serious mental health needs in the subway. To date, 10 SCOUT teams have made over 750 referrals out of the subway system, and collectively, these patients have spent over 2,000 nights in treatment.
“The subway is safer today than before the pandemic and we all know why: more cops, more security cameras and more mental health outreach," Lieber said. "These interventions and others — funded and supported by Governor Hochul — have us on track for a third straight year of declining crime.”
