A new quarterly report shows crime has continued to drop on SEPTA as the transit agency cracks down on fare evasion.
In the report released Wednesday, SEPTA said there was a reduction in seven of the eight serious crime categories, including aggravated assault and theft. SEPTA Transit Police also reported a 10% reduction in serious crimes on the Philadelphia-based system compared to the same period in 2024.
“We are hearing directly from our riders that they feel safer at our stations and on board our vehicles,” SEPTA General Manager Scott A. Sauer said in a statement. “Our Customer Satisfaction Survey scores for safety and security have increased to their highest levels since 2023.”
SEPTA said that since Transit Police started to prioritize fare evasion, they’ve issued more than 6,300 citations so far in 2025, which was a 47% increase compared to last year. SEPTA said the enforcement has helped curb other illegal activities and led to the arrest of more than 700 people.
CBS News Philadelphia took a ride on a SEPTA bus and got a first-hand look at its fare evasion task force in action in May. SEPTA Transit Police are focusing on enforcing fare evasion at “hot spots,” including Huntingdon Station on the Market-Frankford Line.
“We are working to change the culture around paying a fare,” SEPTA Transit Police Chief Charles Lawson said in a statement. “It is a challenge faced by transit systems across the country, and SEPTA is no exception, but we are taking real steps to address it.”
To prevent more evasion, SEPTA says it’s upgrading infrastructure with new fare gates like the ones at 69th Street Transit Center in Upper Darby. They’re going to be installed at nine Metro stations, according to SEPTA.