Subway crime decreased by just over 23% in March compared to the same time last year, according to the latest statistics from the NYPD. This decline followed the dispatch of hundreds of additional police officers into the subway system after a series of violent attacks.
In March 2024, there were 166 felony crimes reported at subway stations citywide, down from the 217 recorded in March 2023.
Mayor Eric Adams stated, “We’re down in crime in the subway system, folks. Can we please stop saying we’re up in crime in our subway system? We are not.”
Although subway crime rates saw significant declines last month, overall transit crime from January to March was only down by 1% compared to the first quarter of 2023, as per NYPD statistics.
NYPD officials credited the year-over-year drop in March to the presence of 1,000 additional officers patrolling the system daily since February for 12-hour shifts to increase coverage underground.
Additional 800 officers were deployed recently as part of the “Operation Fare Play” initiative to crack down on fare evasion, the officials added.
Furthermore, Governor Kathy Hochul deployed hundreds of National Guard troops into the system last month to assist in patrolling stations and inspecting commuters’ bags as part of a broader crime-fighting strategy.
After a 45% increase in subway crime rates in January compared to the same month in 2023, there was a double-digit decrease of 15% the following month.
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