New York Gov. Kathy Hochul and New York City Mayor Eric Adams point to new data that shows significant progress on subway and transit public safety initiatives introduced last year. Last October, the New York Police Department (NYPD) and the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) Police Department would increase officer presence on platforms while expanding capacity at the New York State Office of Mental Health to support unhoused individuals who are sheltering in the subway system and those who are suffering from severe mental illness. Additionally, Gov. Hochul says teams deployed after October 2022 have helped more than 650 unhoused high-needs New Yorkers connect with critical intervention services.
"My number one priority as governor is keeping New Yorkers safe, whether on the streets, in their homes, in their schools or on the subway, and we will do whatever it takes to make our subways safer for riders," Gov. Hochul said. "Our Cops, Cameras and Care initiative has cracked down on subway crime, helped those in need, and continues to attract riders back to the subway system. We have worked closely with the mayor and the NYPD, and we will continue to do whatever is needed to make New Yorkers safe on the subway."
"A year ago, Gov. Hochul and I stood in the subways with a real plan to make sure that people were safe and felt safe on our subways. Now, crime is going down, ridership is going up and New Yorkers are feeling confident in their system. We have a long way to go, but this is the partnership we need to improve the subway system that is the lifeblood of our city, and we're going to continue to move in the right direction,” Mayor Adams said.
"Ridership this month is up 35 percent over last year while crime is down 28 percent. Those are real positive metrics, but we're not taking our foot off the gas anytime soon. I know Gov. Hochul and Mayor Adams are in it for the long haul for the good of riders and all New Yorkers,” said MTA Chair and CEO Janno Lieber.
"We have made great progress providing support and services to people who are living with mental illness and experiencing homelessness in New York City. More than 650 individuals have been engaged with services by our Safe Options Support teams and are getting the help they need to transition into more permanent housing. Gov. Hochul is committed to providing the resources necessary to help every New Yorker, especially those who are most vulnerable, get the treatment and services they need,” said State Office of Mental Health Commissioner Dr. Ann Sullivan.
Significant decreases in subway crime
Major crime in the subway system is down 16 percent compared to the same time period during the prior year, and the crime rate on subways is returning to pre-pandemic levels following the launch of the safety initiatives in October 2022. In 2019, the rate of crime was 1.5 crimes per million riders. In 2022, the rate of crime was 2.3 per million riders. So far in 2023, the ridership adjusted rate is only 1.7 per million riders.
Transit murders decreased from four to two. Further, January 2023 has seen the lowest level of transit crime compared to any January since 1993 when the data was first collected. Transit shootings are down 14 percent, and there has been a notable decrease in robberies, which is down 30 percent. Overall, arrests have increased 43.4 percent since October 2022 and Transit Adjudication Bureau summonses have increased by 84.8 percent.
Customers returning to the subway system
On Dec. 27, 2022, MTA ridership had surpassed 1 billion, as riders continued to return to the subway. Through October 2022, subway ridership is up 38.6 percent over the same period in 2021. The MTA customer satisfaction survey conducted in December 2022 also demonstrated an 18 percent increase in riders feeling "safer" or "much safer" on the trains or in the stations, the largest single-month increase seen since the start of the surveys in spring 2022.
