New York Metropolis subways have seen a slight dip in crime since cops started patrolling the trains in a single day earlier this 12 months, information exhibits.
Crime within the system was down 7% between Jan. 20 — when the nighttime patrols started — and March 16, in comparison with the identical time-frame final 12 months, in line with NYPD statistics.
Mayor Eric Adams touted the general discount in subway mayhem for the reason that starting of the 12 months, tipping his hat to the brand new policing effort for driving down the development.
“In partnership with the governor, the NYPD began to put police officers on every train during overnight hours, seven days per week since January, and thanks in part to those efforts, subway crime is down 28%,” Adams advised reporters Thursday, citing information exhibiting a serious downturn between January and February in comparison with these two months in 2024.
“We are talking about record lows in subway crime that follow two straight years of index crime declines in the system. Two straight years,” he stated at a press convention highlighting psychological well being initiatives underground.
NYPD stats present crime on the subways was down just below 22% from Jan. 1 via Monday, in comparison with final 12 months. It was down almost 13% from 2023.
Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch deployed the additional cops to journey the trains with the help of Gov. Kathy Hochul, who supplied town extra funds to flood the transit system from 9 p.m. to five a.m. every evening.
Straphangers advised The Submit they’ve seen the uptick in officers on the subways — however have been not sure how productive the technique was with nowhere close to sufficient cops to cowl the lots of of practice automobiles.
“You see them patrolling the cars at night, and I guess there’s some security in knowing they’re there,” stated 23-year-old Damerae Beckford.
“However the issue is it’s often simply a few cops and the trains have eight automobiles, and many of the s–t you see occurs so quick that if the cops aren’t proper there at that second, it’s too late. However the metropolis can’t afford to assign a cop to every automobile, both, as a result of that may take up the whole police power.
“It’s good that they assign who they can spare,” he continued, including, “I just don’t know if it’s that effective.”
Joey Cruz, an Astoria businessowner who lives in Manhattan and rides the subway as late as midnight, stated he was relieved to see cops on the trains.
“I feel better when I see the cops, especially when I’m on the train at midnight,” Cruz, 61, advised The Submit from the Port Authority.
“When I see their presence, whether on the train or on the platform, it makes me feel safer,” he added. “However I nonetheless go searching as a result of you possibly can by no means be too cautious.
“They make a difference just by being there, I can see that.”
One other rider, Jayden Pugh, 26, stated he’s solely seen the patrols “sporadically.”
“I see the cops some nights, I don’t see them other nights,” he stated.
“I’m sure they’re down there if that’s what they’re assigned to do, but there’s just so many more subway cars than cops,” Pugh stated. “You possibly can slash a man within the face and be off and working and a cop isn’t gonna catch you except he simply occurred to be there.
“They need to figure out how to get these bad people off the trains to begin with. Assigning more cops is just putting a Band-Aid on the problem.”
— Extra reporting by Georgett Roberts
