Sex crimes on the subway have increased by more than 50 percent in a three-year period, while arrests of the perpetrators have only increased by about 22 percent, according to a report released Tuesday by State Sen. Diane Savino.
In 2014, there were 620 reported sex crimes on the subways, the report shows, citing data from the NYPD. That number increased to 738 in 2015 and 941 in 2016, representing a 52 percent increase since 2014. There have been 434 reported sex crimes in the first five months of 2017, which is a 9 percent increase compared to the same time period in 2016, the report says.
Sex crimes include forcible touching, public lewdness, sexual abuse and unlawful surveillance, but the most commonly reported crimes were forcible touching and public lewdness.
Police arrested 403 people in connection with sex crimes in 2014 and 2015. They arrested 491 in 2016 and 194 so far in 2017.
The report also says that one-third of those arrested for these crimes have a prior sex crime arrest.
“These repeat offenders have evaded criminal prosecution or served minimal incarceration, enabling them to victimize more unsuspecting women during their commute,” the report says.
Forcible touching of sexual parts of another person and public lewdness, or exposing oneself, are considered misdemeanors under New York law and are punishable by up to one year in prison. Sexual abuse, or subjecting someone to sexual contact without consent, is a felony when charged in the first degree and carries a penalty of up to seven years in prison.
Savino reintroduced legislation in the State Senate this year to make forcible touching a class D felony, rather than a class A misdemeanor, increasing the penalty to up to 7 years in prison instead of one year.
The MTA encourages passengers to report sex crimes through an online form, which launched in 2014.
