Crime on the rails is still dropping, according to law enforcement authorities and the MTA on Wednesday.
Officials reported a significant decrease in major crimes on the rails last month, with figures for October showing a nearly 14% reduction compared to October 2024.
Last month, the subway system reported 155 major crimes, representing a 13.9% decrease compared to the same month last year.
Charles Gulotta, the NYPD’s chief of transportation, said during a monthly MTA committee meeting on Nov. 19, that the reduction is largely driven by a decrease in robberies and grand larcenies.
“What is important about these numbers is that they are not just numbers,” Gulotta said during his presentation. “Those are crime victims. And more importantly than them being crime victims, these are some of the lowest numbers ever recorded in the subway system.”
He added that the MTA is on track to finish “one of the strongest years in recorded history” when it comes to subway crime.
“This has been an incredible year in the subway system so far,” Gulotta said.
From January to October, the subway system experienced a 4.2% decrease in crime, with 1,828 incidents reported last year compared to 1,751 in 2025.
This positive trend builds upon months of focused enforcement and strategic deployments across the city’s vast underground network. Officials attribute the decline to increased police visibility and investments in safety.
“The credit always goes to our cops,” Gulotta said. “They do an incredible job down there, day in and day out. The investment from the governor, mayor and police commissioner into the subway system has been remarkable.”
Janno Lieber, chair and CEO of the MTA, said the public is feeling the effects of a safer subway system.
“We just had the best October that anyone can remember,” he said. “What really hits home for us at the MTA is when we do rider surveys. And the rider surveys are telling us that people feel much safer on the system.”
Despite the positive trend, major, high-profile subway crime incidents have continued to make headlines recently, including the unprovoked slashing of a 14-year-old boy on a Bronx 4 train earlier this month.
And on Nov. 7, cops nabbed 18-year-old Werling Mendez in the Bronx for allegedly attempting to bring a handgun with a massive ammunition clip into the White Plains Road-East Gun Hill Road station. Transit officers spotted him evading the fare, but when they attempted to stop him, he ran from the scene.
The officers were able to catch up with Mendez and found the weapon inside of his jacket.
