NYPD cracks down on subway crime

By Chuck Bennett | STAFF WRITER

6:55 PM EDT, March 26, 2007

Transit cops are busting more subway predators on the prowl, leading to a 27 percent jump in the number of arrests this year.

That's because NYPD brass have ordered subway cops to crack down on quality of life offenses like walking between cars, smoking and jumping turnstiles. That sweep is leading police to more serious criminals, turning up weapons and people with outstanding warrants.

"We asked the officers to go out and really turn up the heat," said Chief James Hall, head of the NYPD Transit Bureau, at the MTA's midtown headquarters yesterday. In particular, cops are on the lookout for people walking between subway cars.

"A lot of victims tell us that when they are victimized the bad guy or bad gal walked through the cars so we attempted to put a lot more officers on the trains looking for that offense," Hall said.

As of Monday, 1,953 summonses have been issued for outside riding this year, according to the NYPD.

More importantly, Hall said, officers are finding that some people walking between the cars had bad intentions. Of those issued summonses, four had guns, 45 had illegal knives and 166 had outstanding warrants.

New York City Transit outlawed walking between the cars in December 2005 to prevent rider accidents. Summonses for getting caught between cars -- or "outside riding" as the department calls the offense -- soared to 3,600 last year compared to just 700 in 2005. So far this year, 1,953 summonses, which incur a fine of $75, were issued for outside riding, according to the NYPD.

"They are getting criminals on the hunt for vics," said Paul Fleuranges, a spokesman for New York City Transit. "This is a very wanted and helpful by-product of the whole rules change."

Arrests jumped nearly 27 percent for the first two months of this year compared to last year, according to the NYPD statistics. There were 5,444 arrests in January and February compared to 4,291 arrests during the first two months last year. Meanwhile, major felonies dropped 8 percent from 383 to 351 during the same period.