Safer Subways: Governor Hochul Announces Subway Crime Fell to Historic Lows This Summer

Governor Hochul today announced that subway crime fell to record lows this summer. Overall transit crime from June 1 to August 31 was down nearly 10 percent from 2024 and 16.8 percent from the summer of 2019. Year-to-date, transit crime is at record lows, while subway ridership is up 9 percent, with over 311 million rides taken during the summer months. 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 percent. 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 percent from 2022 and in line with pre-pandemic lows.

"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," Governor Hochul said. "All New Yorkers deserve to feel safe on public transit - and I am committed to continuing investments that make our subways and streets safe."

MTA Chair and CEO Janno Lieber said, "The subway is safer today than before the pandemic and we all know why: more cops, more security cameras, and more mental health outreach. These interventions and others - funded and supported by Governor Hochul - have us on track for a third straight year of declining crime."

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 percent this August compared to 2024, and felony assaults were down 40.4 percent compared to last year. Robberies were down 34 percent in the subway system in August compared to 2024.

This historic reduction in crime follows a series of investments in subway safety led by Governor Hochul. In January, Governor Hochul allocated $77 million in state funding to support a first-of-its-kind collaboration with the NYPD to deploy officers on board subway trains during overnight hours. This deployment provides peace of mind to riders and a deterrent to those who would commit crime in the system during overnight hours. During this deployment, two NYPD officers patrol a subway train, moving from car to car during a train's journey.

"With strategic investments in public safety and targeted interventions, crimes across our subway system have officially reached record lows."

There has also been progress made responding to mental health challenges in the subway. 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, SCOUT teams have made over 750 referrals out of the subway system, and collectively, these patients have spent over 2,000 nights in treatment, getting the help they need. Directed by Governor Hochul, the MTA has now fully operationalized 10 SCOUT teams, with services provided throughout the subway system in the Bronx, Brooklyn, Queens, and Manhattan.

Investments in Transit Safety Made Under Governor Hochul's Leadership Include:

• Provided $77 million to partner with the NYPD to deploy two officers on every overnight train.
• $20 million to fully fund 10 Subway Co-Response Outreach (SCOUT) teams to provide a clinician-first response to mental health challenges in the subway.
• Placed 32,000 security cameras in the New York City Subway system - including over 17,000 on all 6,000 subway cars at Governor Hochul's direction - and over 15,000 in subway stations.
• Added new platform barriers at 74 subway stations, with the MTA on pace for 100 by the end of 2025.
• Installed brighter LED lights in over 300 subway stations, on pace for all 472 by the end of 2025.
• Established two Transition to Home Units (THUs) at Manhattan Psychiatric Center, creating 50 beds to support homeless individuals with severe mental illness.
• Improved coordination between Law Enforcement and District Attorneys via a new MTA Criminal Justice Advocate.
• Installed cameras in the conductor cabs of subway trains to keep MTA employees safe. To date, the MTA has installed cameras in over 1,100 conductor cabs.

MTA Chief Security Officer Michael Kemper said, "Surging ridership and falling crime is very good news for MTA riders, who consistently rank subway safety as their number one concern. We remain focused and will continue working with the NYPD and our law enforcement partners to ensure this downward trend continues."

NYC Transit President Demetrius Crichlow said, "Keeping riders and employees safe in the transit system is always top of mind at NYC Transit and thanks to the investments made by Governor Hochul and law enforcement partners, we're delivering on that commitment. With surging ridership, historic on-time performance, and decreasing crime statistics this summer, riders can rest assured they will be receiving safe, efficient and reliable trips on the subway."

Contact the Governor's Press Office