Safer Subways: Governor Hochul Announces Subway Crime on Track to Reach Lowest Levels in a Generation in 2025

Governor Kathy Hochul today announced that the New York City Subway is on track for its safest year in a generation. With two weeks left in 2025, subway crime is at the lowest level in 16 years: overall major crime in the transit system is down 5.2 percent from 2024 and 14.4 percent from 2019. Accounting for increases in ridership, there have been 1.65 major crimes per million riders in 2025, down roughly 30 percent from 2021 and comparable to pre-pandemic lows. In 2022, Governor Hochul and Mayor Eric Adams announced a shared commitment to keep subway riders safe, and in each of the following four years, the rate of crime per rider has fallen. This year is on pace to be the second safest non-pandemic year in the subway system in recorded history, eclipsed only by 2009.

This historic reduction in crime comes as subway ridership continues to climb. On Thursday, December 11, the subway broke its post-pandemic ridership record for the third time in two weeks, with 4.654 million customers. Subway ridership is up nearly eight percent this year, with over 1.2 billion rides taken to date. Governor Hochul also announced that she is committed to further safety investments in 2026, including an additional $77 million for enhanced NYPD subway patrols.

"Crime is down and ridership is up on subways thanks to major investments to keep New Yorkers safe and run better, more reliable transit," Governor Hochul said. "By supporting transformational safety and mental health programs and upgrading transit service and infrastructure, we're making our subways safer for millions of daily riders and tens of thousands of transit workers. I am deeply grateful for the work of the men and women at the NYPD who keep riders safe and remain committed to advancing public safety efforts that have successfully driven down crime on subways across New York City."

New York City Mayor Eric Adams said, "Over 40 years ago, I began my public-service career as a transit cop, patrolling the subways to protect New Yorkers from crime. That's why our administration's North Star has always been to make New York City safer, and that includes ensuring that New Yorkers are able to commute on our world-class transit system safely and peacefully. The latest numbers show how, once again, we are proving that we delivered on that mission and made America's safest big city even safer - above and below ground. With subway crime down to the lowest levels in a generation, and major crimes down 40 percent compared to the period before we came into office, New Yorkers can enjoy the peace of mind they deserve when riding our subways. I thank Governor Hochul for her partnership in delivering safer subways, and with the announcement of additional state funds to support officers in the subways, we are doubling down on the strategies we have implemented together that work. And to the brave men and women of the NYPD: thank you for continuing to serve and ensuring that the pulse of our city continues to thrive."

NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch said, "New Yorkers aren't just safer on our subways now than they've been in years - they're feeling safer, too. This isn't by accident, it is the result of our transit safety plan - the precision deployment of cops to the platforms and trains where the majority of crime actually occurs, and the men and women of the NYPD who effectively execute this plan. Major crime is down across the subways, and the last five months combined have been the safest in recorded history on the subway outside of the pandemic years. None of this happens without the support of Governor Hochul and Mayor Adams, and this new investment will allow us to continue driving down crime in our transit system."

MTA Chair and CEO Janno Lieber said, "This has been the most consequential year in the history of the MTA for many reasons - surging ridership and customer satisfaction and our historic capital plan, but nothing is more important than safety. I want to thank Governor Hochul, Commissioner Tisch, the NYPD and MTA PD for the progress we've seen and look forward to more in the year to come."

Crime is down and ridership is up on subways thanks to major investments to keep New Yorkers safe and run better, more reliable transit."

Thanks to the work of the NYPD, MTA Police Department, and other partners, transit crime has declined considerably in 2025. This summer, crime was down nearly 11 percent from 2024 levels. Felony assaults have decreased considerably in the second half of 2025, with the rate of assault incidents down 16 percent from 2024. In November, assaults were down 25 percent compared to the same month last year.

This significant reduction in crime follows a historic state investment to support the efforts of the NYPD to improve subway safety. Earlier this year, Governor Hochul allocated $77 million to support a first-of-its-kind collaboration with the NYPD to increase police presence in the subway, including by deploying officers on subway trains during overnight hours. To build on this success, Governor Hochul and Commissioner Tisch today announced that New York State will commit an additional $77 million for enhanced subway patrols in 2026. This funding will support the deployment of NYPD officers in the subway system in areas of greatest need and largest impact.

This enhanced deployment followed the joint commitment of Governor Hochul and Mayor Adams to keep subway riders safe. In 2022, the governor and mayor announced the "Cops, Cameras, Care" initiative, which surged additional NYPD and MTA Police Department officers into the subway system, funded the installation of cameras in every subway car, and scaled up city and state responses to mental health in the subway. Since the launch of this initiative, the rate of crimes per rider is down nearly 30 percent.

Governor Hochul also has provided substantial state resources to support individuals in need of mental health and psychiatric support in the transit system. Funded by a $20 million investment from the Governor's five-point plan dedicated to supporting riders, 10 Subway Co-Response Outreach Teams (SCOUT), partnering with MTA police officers, are providing a clinician-led approach trained to address severe mental illness in the subway system. To date, SCOUT teams have made more than 900 referrals, including over 300 involuntary referrals, and collectively, these patients have received the help they need during more than 7,500 nights in hospital care.

Governor Hochul also directed the MTA to make improvements to the physical station environment to improve safety. In her 2025 State of the State address, she challenged the MTA to accelerate the installation of platform edge barriers at an additional 100 stations and complete the installation of brighter, safer LED lighting in all 472 subway stations by the end of the year. Today, the MTA has exceeded the goal for platform barriers, with barriers installed at 101 stations this year and 115 in total. The MTA is also on track to convert the final station to LED lighting next week at Times Sq-42 St.

Subway ridership is up nearly eight percent in 2025. This December, the subway has broken several post-pandemic ridership records: Thursday, December 11 was the highest post-pandemic ridership day with 4.654 million customers, Friday, December 12 saw the highest post-pandemic Friday ridership with 4.34 million customers, and Saturday, December 13 broke the record for best post-pandemic Saturday ridership with 3.223 million customers.

Customer survey data has also shown significant improvements in safety and overall satisfaction. When the MTA began conducting monthly surveys of subway riders in May 2022, customers reported an overall satisfaction of 46 percent, with 47 percent of riders reporting they felt safe. In 2025, these numbers have risen substantially: the rate of customers feeling safe in the subway increased from 57 percent in January to 71 percent in November, an improvement of 14 percentage points and the highest rate on record. Overall subway customer satisfaction increased from 57 percent in January to 67 percent in November, which is the highest subway satisfaction level on record.

Investments in transit safety made under Governor Hochul's leadership include:

• $20 million to fully fund 10 Subway Co-Response Outreach (SCOUT) teams to provide a clinician-first response to severe mental illness in the subway.
• 32,000 security cameras in the New York City Subway system, including over 17,000 on all 6,000 subway cars at Governor Hochul's direction and over 15,000 in stations.
• New platform barriers installed at 115 subway stations, with the MTA exceeding their goal of 100 made in Governor Hochul's 2025 State of the State.
• Brighter and safer LED lights in over 450 subway stations, on pace for all 472 by the end of 2025.
• Established two Transition to Home Units (THUs) at Manhattan Psychiatric Center, creating 50 beds to support homeless individuals with severe mental illness.
• Improved coordination between Law Enforcement and District Attorneys via a new MTA Criminal Justice Advocate.
• Installing cameras in the conductor cabs of subway trains to keep MTA employees safe.

Contact the Governor's Press Office