NYPD sends 200 more officers to subways; mayor says there is more fear although subway crime fell last year

Both New York City Mayor Eric Adams and NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch acknowledged Monday that the perception of higher subway crime, despite statistics showing an overall decrease last year, is resulting in more public fear of riding subways and requires shifting more officers to the transit system.

At a joint news conference at police headquarters in Manhattan, Adams and Tisch said recent high-profile crimes underground — such as the immolation last month of a woman on a Brooklyn train and recent pushing incidents — come as 2024 showed an overall drop of 5.4% in subway crime compared to 2023.

"But, we still must do more because people don’t feel safe in our subways," Tisch said. "Effective this week I directed that we move more than 200 officers on to the trains to do specialty train patrols. I further directed that we deploy more officers on to subway platforms in the 50 highest crime stations in the city."

Tisch said that 78% of subway crimes happen on the trains and the platforms. "That is quite obviously where our officers need to be," explained Tisch.

Violence prevention patrols on subway trains “makes sense” and is among the public safety and welfare concerns that “deserve more public resources,” said Danny Pearlstein, the policy and communications director for Riders Alliance, a transit rider advocacy group.

“Riders have been consistently saying that if there are going to be lots of NYPD officers in the subway system, they should be on platforms and trains,” Pearlstein said. “While revenue is important, no one feels unsafe around the turnstiles.”

The initiative comes as more people have been encouraged to take to the subways as congestion pricing begins and New Yorkers have to pay $9 to enter Manhattan's central business district.

"When you look at some of the horrific incidents that the commissioner talked about in these last few days, the average New Yorker would believe they are living in a city that is out of control. That is not the reality," said Adams.

Adams was referring to the death of a New Jersey woman who was set on fire as she sat on a subway train on December 22. A suspect in the case was arrested and now faces murder and arson charges.

Adams and Tisch noted that in 2024, major crimes dropped in a number of categories such as burglary, grand larceny, auto theft, robbery and homicides. However, rapes and felony assaults went up.

Overall, major felonies dropped about 2.9% compared to 2023. Police data showed that homicides fell to 377 in 2024, down from 391 in 2023, while shootings dropped to 903 from 974 in the prior year.

Tisch said the level of shootings last year was the fourth lowest in the modern era of police record keeping, which began in 1993.

However, the level of overall serious crime in 2024 is still nearly 30% above the level at the end of 2019, just before the pandemic. Richard Aborn, head of the nonprofit New York Citizens Crime Commission, said, and that disparity is a concern.

"The news on crime is good but the continuing challenge is to get below pre-COVID levels," said Aborn, who applauded the move to get more cops on the subways.

With Nicholas Grasso

By Anthony M. DeStefano

tony.destefano@newsday.comtonynewsday

Anthony M. DeStefano has been a reporter for Newsday since 1986 and covers law enforcement, criminal justice and legal affairs from its New York City offices.