Key Public Safety Indicators

Subway Crime: Trends, Facts, and Policing

New York City’s subway system crime rates have shown steady declines through 2024 and early 2025 owing to enhanced NYPD presence and multi-pronged safety initiatives.

• 2,211 major (index) crimes reported in 2024, down 5.4% from 2,337 in 2023 despite a 3.8% increase in ridership (~1.2 billion rides).
• Robberies on subway dropped 16.3% in 2024 to 453 incidents; felony assaults remained nearly stable (572 vs. 573).
• January 2025 recorded only 147 major crimes, a 36% drop compared to 231 in January 2024.
• No murders were reported in subway transit for January and Q1 2025 — a historic low since 2018.
• Increased night and platform patrols with 1,200 added NYPD officers and 300 specifically patrolling overnight trains.
• Quality-of-life offenses including drinking and smoking on trains/platforms were aggressively mitigated.
• Largest sustained multi-channel crime reduction effort in the subway in 20+ years.

Year-to-date data are preliminary and subject to revision by NYPD Transit Bureau.

Fighting Transnational Crime at the Northern Border

Strengthening New York’s response to transnational criminal networks operating along the state's northern border has been a key part of increasing public safety.

• The creation of specialized task forces combining NY State Police, federal, and local agencies focusing on narcotics, human trafficking, and weapons smuggling.
• Reported seizures of narcotics increased 18% in 2025 compared to 2024 along key transit routes.
• Expanded surveillance and intelligence sharing have disrupted multiple illicit trafficking operations.
• Community engagement includes awareness programs with border residents and commercial carriers.
• Over 120 arrests reported in the first half of 2025 related to transnational undercover operations.

Supportive Interventions Act and Mental Health Safety Net

Proposed legislation under the Supportive Interventions Act aims to reform how New York supports individuals with severe mental illness through expanded involuntary commitments and supportive outpatient services.

• Focuses on streamlining court processes and increasing access to mental health care across inpatient and community settings.
• Enhances Kendra's Law by allowing wider reach of outpatient treatment mandates with due process protections.
• Allocated $175 million in 2025 budget to boost community-based crisis intervention teams and supportive housing.
• Introduced workforce expansions providing 900 new behavioral health specialists statewide.
• Expanding tele-mental health services, increasing Medicaid mental health utilization 35% from 2023 to 2025.
• Annual crisis intervention calls increased 25% with improved mobile response teams deployment.