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Overall crime on the subway system is down 6.4% from last year’s pace as the Metropolitan Transportation Authority seeks to boost safety and rider confidence.
There were 661 reported crimes this year through April 28, down from 706 during the same period in 2023, according to New York Police Department crime statistics. The drop coincides with a 57% increase in total arrests, although non-felony incidents make up the bulk of those apprehensions.
The NYPD in early February boosted the number of uniformed police officers in the transit system after a spike in crime in January. The decrease in lawlessness on the subway can be attributed to the larger police presence, but customers are still experiencing disturbing incidents, MTA Chair and CEO Janno Lieber said Monday during a safety committee meeting.
“We have to keep pushing to make sure that this overall trend is maintained,” Lieber said about the drop in overall crime.
While overall reported crimes are down, there have already been four murders on the system so far this year, up from a total of five murders for all of 2023, according to the crime statistics. There have been 136 reported robberies this year, down 25% from the same period in 2023 and felony assaults are down by 5%.
Rider safety is a primary concern for transit customers after several violent attacks this year. Riders cite people behaving erratically and worries over personal safety as prohibiting them from using the system more often, according to the MTA’s most recent monthly customer satisfaction survey.
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Michelle Kaske, Bloomberg , 2024-04-30 19:57:19
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