According to New York Police Department (NYPD) statistics, robberies are down 16.7%, felony assaults down 9.3%, and grand larcenies down 6%. Notably, there were no burglaries the entire month of July. Average ridership has increased from 3,441,771 in July 2024 to 3,857,298 in July 2025 in that same period. There was less than one crime per million riders committed in the subway system in July 2025.
These improvements, the agency says, come more than a year after Governor Kathy Hochul and the MTA unveiled a Five Point Plan for Subway Safety, which included increasing police presence in stations and on platforms, installing security cameras in every subway car, implementing bag checks, and deploying SCOUT homeless outreach teams to connect individuals with severe mental illness to treatment and supportive housing, among other initiatives.
Recent security measures also include the expansion of overnight patrols to place two uniformed police officers onboard every subway train from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m.; the ongoing installation of protective barriers on platforms; upgrading fare gates and delaying egress at emergency exits to help crack down on fare evasion; and adding LED lighting throughout the system to increase visibility.
Since Jan. 1, 2025, the MTA says it has installed more than 200 additional cameras across 40 subway stations. LED lights have been installed in a total of 362 stations, with all 472 stations expected to be converted by the end of this year. Additionally, platform barriers have been installed at 65 stations with the agency on track to install platform barriers at 100 subway stations across Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens, and the Bronx by the end of 2025.
“It’s clear that efforts to increase overnight patrols, deploy thousands more security cameras, and expand mental health outreach are having real positive impacts,” said MTA Chair and CEO Janno Lieber. “By working closely with Governor Hochul and the NYPD, we’re making sure the transit system not only is safe but feels safe for our six million daily riders.”
“We’re thrilled with NYPD Commissioner Tisch’s report that last month was the safest July in subway history, excluding the pandemic,” said MTA Chief Security Officer Michael Kemper. “Not only that, [but] transit crime is down year-to-date, led by a drop in overall assaults, even as more riders return to the system.”
In related news, Gov. Hochul on Aug. 10 signed legislation to rename the 110th Street-Central Park North subway station to 110th Street-Malcolm X Plaza and empower the Council of Arts to designate the Harlem Renaissance Cultural District as a region of cultural significance, as the community celebrated the 51st Harlem Week festival.
