After two recent police surges and help from the National Guard, transit crime significantly decreased in New York City, the NYPD reported Wednesday.
The 23.5% downturn in transit crime during March actually led to a first-quarter decrease in 2024, police sources said. The NYPD also reported an across-the-board during the year’s first three months.
Year over year, crime saw double-digit decreases across major crime categories; from Jan. 1 through March 31, robberies reduced 51.9%, grand larceny decreased 15.2%, and felony assault dropped 10.9%. Murder also fell 17.1%, rape reduced by 3.7%, and burglary reduced by 13.8%.
Overall, crime in the transit system fell 1.1% year-over-year for the first quarter and 23.5% in March alone, which the NYPD attributes to the 1,000 additional uniformed NYPD officers surged into the network every day.
The surges happened after crime in the subways spiked in January 2024, powered largely by pickpockets and other thieves but overshadowed by several deadly stabbings and shootings in the system.
The extra officers in the transit system have also been focused on battling fare evasion, which NYPD brass have said is a popular crime for more serious repeat offenders targeting riders in the system.
Arrests in the subway system have increased nearly 53% compared to 2023, with 4,813 total arrests compared to 3,147 the year prior.
“There cannot be a sense of lawlessness in the subway system, and it begins at the turnstiles,” said Police Commissioner Edward A. Caban. “It is highly encouraging to see the tangible results of our hard work – the investment we are making is clearly paying dividends. We vow to maintain our tight focus on the drivers of crime in order to improve transportation safety – and perceptions of safety – at every station, on every train, at all hours of the day and night. That is what New Yorkers expect and deserve.”
MTA Chair and CEO Janno Lieber lauded the crime drop in a statement.
“Millions of New Yorkers depend on mass transit. The system needs to be safe – and feel safe – for them, and thanks to increased deployments from Mayor Adams and smart policing from Commissioner Caban and the NYPD, 2024 subway crime is now below 2023 levels, and even lower than pre-pandemic. We thank our City partners for their unwavering commitment to transit safety,” Lieber said.
Both above and below ground, the NYPD reported a 5% year-over-year drop in crime in March. Murder was reduced by 19.4% in March, grand theft auto fell 10.9% and grand larceny fell 7%. Robberies stayed relatively the same in March, however burglaries reduced by 17.4%.
Shooting incidents also fell 25.9% with 63 instances compared to 85 in March 2023. In March 2024, compared to the previous March, the total number of bias incidents investigated by the NYPD’s Hate Crime Task Force across the five boroughs increased by 27 incidents. Overall crime in New York City public housing developments dropped 6.2%.
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