MTA: Safety initiative reduced subway crime

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, New York City Mayor Eric Adams and Metropolitan Transportation Authority Chair and CEO Janno Lieber announced late last week that subway crime has decreased since the launch of the Cops, Cameras and Care Initiative in October 2022.

Compared to the time period of October 2021 to January 2022, major subway crime — which includes murder, rape, assault and theft — has dropped 16% between October 2022 and January 2023, MTA officials said in a press release. Overall crime is down 28% compared to the same period.

In 2022, the rate of crime (measured by felonies per million riders) was 2.3 per million riders, up from 1.5 per million riders in 2019. Transit murders have also halved from four to two in the same time period, and transit shootings are down 14%. Transit robberies are also down 30%, MTA officials said.

The subway system recorded the second-lowest level of transit crime in any January since 1993, MTA officials added. Overall arrests are up 43% since October 2022.

"Ridership this month is up 35% over last year, while crime is down 28%. Those are real positive metrics, but we're not taking our foot off the gas anytime soon," said Lieber.

The safety initiative increased police presence on subway platforms and expanded capacity at the New York State Office of Mental Health. Teams deployed since then have helped more than 650 unhoused, high-needs individuals connect with critical intervention services.

The state has 10 teams of specially trained mental health practitioners, known as Safe Options Support teams, who are working with emergency shelters, outreach providers and supportive housing programs to transition an estimated 3,900 homeless individuals into a stable living environment, MTA officials said. Hochul also directed $10 million to establish two Transition-to-Home units in the city that offer psychiatric center-based treatment for individuals with serious mental health issues who are also experiencing homelessness.