As New York gears up for its next mayoral election, the incoming leader will be tasked with reassessing the approach to subway transit safety that has characterized the Adams-Hochul administration.
City leaders have recognized the pressing need for a sustained increase in police presence within the subway system, moving away from temporary overtime shifts which have proven less effective.
This call for action comes on the heels of alarming statistics reflecting an uptick in subway criminal activity.
In 2021, subway crime became a focal point for incoming Mayor Eric Adams, who ran on a strong anti-crime platform.
At that time, violent offenses within the subway system had surged by nearly 9 percent compared to 2019, marking a significant concern for voters.
With subway ridership plummeting to just 45 percent of its 2019 level during the pandemic, the risk of serious violent crime per ride had more than doubled, from 0.55 incidents per million rides in 2019 to 1.32 in 2021.
This atmosphere of fear was exacerbated by a concerning increase in subway homicides, averaging seven per year during 2020 and 2021, in stark contrast to fewer than two per year in the preceding decade.
Adams instituted a dual strategy to tackle subway crime, incorporating both reactive and proactive measures.
He increased police presence by assigning officers to work overtime, aimed at addressing what he termed a ‘perception of crime.’
Furthermore, since August of last year, mental health professionals have been deployed in conjunction with police forces, targeting Manhattan subway stations at night.
These teams engage with individuals exhibiting signs of mental distress, and if deemed necessary, they can request emergency medical assistance, even involuntarily transporting individuals for treatment.
While these strategies initially showed mixed results, recent data from May has presented a more complex picture regarding subway safety.
Notably, violent felonies in the first quarter of 2025 had increased by nearly 19 percent compared to 2019.
Despite improvements from the 2021 data, the per-ride risk of violent crime remained elevated at 0.80 per million rides—still considerably higher than the pre-2020 norm.
Particularly troubling was the sharp deterioration in safety observed in April, despite NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch’s commitment to targeting quality-of-life offenses.
April saw violent felonies spike by 44 percent, immediately erasing prior progress.
The frequency of serious violence has now crossed into an upward trend, with the month witnessing the first subway homicide of the year after a brief period of improved safety.
As the city looks forward to electing a new mayor, it must confront the fundamentally flawed reliance on police overtime to ensure subway safety.
The current transit police force consists of 2,730 officers, which is significantly lower than the 4,100 officers it maintained in 1991 during a previous crime surge.
Addressing this gap necessitates a reevaluation of the broader NYPD workforce, which currently stands at 35,001—well beneath the early 2000s levels exceeding 40,000.
Recruitment efforts for the NYPD have struggled to meet these targets, thereby complicating any plans to bolster transit policing.
In tandem with these policing strategies, it is critical that the new mayor commits to regular updates on both policing outcomes and mental health interventions to foster public trust.
The trend toward reduced criminal justice enforcement prior to 2019—including policies that relaxed fare evasion enforcement—has eroded effectiveness in policing, as repeat offenders often evaded significant penalties.
In 2024, police made over twice as many arrests in the transit system compared to 2019, totaling 23,326.
Yet, 72 percent of these arrests did not result in charges or were dismissed by judges, raising doubts about the sufficiency of tightened criminal justice laws since 2021.
For mental health interventions, while privacy laws limit the release of specific data, the city should still report aggregate statistics—such as the rates at which individuals committed involuntarily go on to commit serious crimes in the subway.
New York has been increasing mental health treatment capacity, a policy that should continue under the next mayor.
Among the candidates vying for the Democratic nomination, opinions vary widely on how best to enhance subway safety.
Former Governor Andrew M. Cuomo has proposed increasing the transit police force to 4,000 officers, distinguishing himself from other candidates.
However, he also weakened criminal justice laws during his tenure, a fact that complicates his current stance on crime prevention.
State Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani has suggested adding mental health teams to the subway system, while Comptroller Brad Lander advocates for a housing-first approach linked with robust mental health services, albeit with less emphasis on rigorous policing.
Former Comptroller Scott Stringer has called for dedicated officers for every train, yet he hasn’t proposed expanding the transit police force.
Cuomo’s assertive position on increasing police presence, despite his controversial record, has positioned him as the current frontrunner in what’s shaping to be a highly competitive race.
image source from：https://www.city-journal.org/article/subways-safety-crime-new-york-city-mayor-police
