Police officers in an F train station. NYPD officers are often seen patrolling NYC subways and train stations.
Photo by Barbara Russo-Lennon
NYC transit crime is down year to date in July, even with a felony spike in May, according to information from the MTA and NYPD.
Crimes per million rides dropped 15% in May from April this year, though it was up 3% from the same month in 2024, according to MTA documents. Overall, crimes per million rides were down 21% versus the 2024 monthly average, the MTA notes.
Officials from the state-run agency and Gov. Kathy Hochul credit an aggressive subway safety action plan for the reduction in crime. Trains now have surveillance cameras in every railcar as law enforcement has increased patrols on trains and platforms.
“We have continued to maintain a strong decrease in crime year to date,” MTA documents state. “Our collaborative efforts to combat crime patterns within our transit system have continued to show effect month over month. We, at the MTA, will continue to work with our law enforcement partners on quality of life and crime control initiatives and hope to see this downtrend continue throughout 2025.”
Despite the reported drop in crime, the MTA said major felony crime was up 23% month-over-month in May, underscored by a 5.1% increase compared to the same month last year.
However, crime mellowed out in June, when the NYPD reported a 6.4% decrease compared to June 2024. There were 175 transit crimes reported in June 2025 versus 187 during the same month last year. It was not immediately clear how many of those crimes were felonies.
The fight against fare evasion
Fare evasion continues to proliferate within the system on both buses and trains. As New York commuters grow increasingly frustrated with the scourge, the MTA has taken aggressive action aimed at stopping the illegal activity.
For example, agency officials have deployed unarmed gate guards at select stations throughout the city. Fare beating has dropped by 36% at stations with guards, the agency recently told amNewYork.
Police brass say subway crime is being driven by fare evaders who disregard the obligation to pay for their ride as much as they disregard the safety of others.File Photo by Dean Moses
Additionally, some station turnstiles have been outfitted with sleeves and barriers to make jumping them more difficult. At these stations, the agency reported a 60% drop in turnstile hopping.
Subway robberies are down 8%
Meanwhile, according to the latest NYPD statistics, transit crime has decreased .6% year to date through July 20 compared to the same period in 2024.
Subway robberies fell 8% year over year, with just 192 subway robberies reported in the first half of the year, the lowest since tracking began in 2007, the NYPD said.