Governor Hochul Announces Historic Reduction in Crime on Long Island Rail Road, Metro-North and Staten Island Railway

Governor Kathy Hochul today announced a significant reduction in crime on the Long Island Rail Road, Metro-North Railroad and Staten Island Railway, which are patrolled by the MTA Police Department (MTAPD). Major felonies, including burglary, felony assault, grand larceny, and robbery dropped a combined 20.1 percent in the first eight months of 2026 compared to the same period in 2025. Felony crime on the commuter railroads and the Staten Island Railway is the lowest in four years, and 2026 is on track for a second year of double-digit decreases in major crime, with a 16.4 percent drop reported in the first eight months of 2025.

"Keeping New Yorkers safe is my highest priority as governor, and thanks to smart investments in the MTAPD, our commuter railroads have seen historic reductions in crime this year," Governor Hochul said. "With growing ridership, the LIRR and Metro-North are engines of the entire state's economy, and it is essential that the hundreds of thousands of riders who rely on rail service to get around travel safely. By investing in law enforcement and critical tools like better security cameras, we are accomplishing just that."

MTA Chair and CEO Janno Lieber said, "Survey after survey, riders tell us safety is their number one issue. Governor Hochul listened and responded with funding interventions - more cops, more security cameras, more mental health outreach -- that have delivered real results."

Four major crime categories on the LIRR, Metro-North and Staten Island Railway have seen double-digit drops in the first eight months of 2026, compared to the first eight months of 2024 including a 50 percent drop in burglary, 18.1 percent drop in grand larcenies, a 42.9 percent drop in grand larceny auto in station parking lots and a 39.3 percent drop in robberies. There have been no reported rapes on the LIRR, Metro-North or SIR since 2023.

Additionally, crimes committed against LIRR and Metro-North employees and the MTA Police Officers who patrol those systems are the lowest levels since 2023, with a total of just 107 in 2026, down 55.4 percent compared with the 240 reported during the first eight months of 2024, and down 10.8 percent from the 120 reported during the first eight months of last year. In 2022, Governor Hochul signed legislation that toughened state laws on transit employee assaults, protecting an additional 11,000 MTA employees, including numerous commuter railroad employees, from attacks and harassment.

MTA Police Department Chief Thomas Taffe said, "This historic reduction in crime across the Long Island Rail Road, Metro-North, and Staten Island Railway is the direct result of the steadfast support provided by Governor Hochul and Chairman Lieber, and the hard work and dedication of the men and women of the MTAPD. This progress reflects a shared commitment to protecting our riders and employees and demonstrates what is possible when resources and leadership are aligned in support of public safety."

Metro-North President Justin Vonashek said, "Metro-North places customer safety at the forefront of all our decisions. Crime is plummeting on our railroad thanks to smart security investments, and I am grateful to Governor Hochul for her continued support and commitment to keeping the region secure."

Long Island Rail Road President Rob Free said, "The investments we have made in safety upgrades, from adding panoramic cameras to increasing fare evasion enforcement, are part of the reason why crime continues to drop on the LIRR. And it shows in our customer satisfaction surveys, where our safety ratings are consistently in the 80 to 90 percent range."

This drop in major crime is the result of increased investment in safety initiatives on the commuter railroads and Staten Island Railway. The LIRR and Metro-North both recently implemented the Joint Security Strategy, which modernizes how critical information is delivered to train crews. Crew members now have tablets and cellular ticketing devices that allow information to be shared instantly, including lists of persistent fare evaders, individuals who may have committed crimes against employees or the railroad, and missing-persons alerts.

Having access to real-time information has assisted in the apprehensions of suspects wanted for assaults and harassment complaints and has strengthened railroad employee confidence during fare disputes and security-sensitive situations. The Joint Security Strategy has resulted in a combined 40 percent reduction in disorderly customer incidents, a 47 percent decrease in fare disputes, and a 12 percent decrease in requests for police assistance over the first six months of 2026, compared to the same period last year. The MTAPD has also increased patrols on commuter trains over the past several years, improving visibility and deterrence throughout the system.

Additionally, the Long Island Rail Road recently announced upgrades to its already robust camera network with the installation of panoramic cameras which feature 360-degree coverage at stations, yards and grade crossings to better protect riders by removing blind spots and speeding up emergency response times through use of the camera's live feeds.

On the Staten Island Railway, the MTA has enhanced security by replacing every car with state-of-the-art R211 railcars roughly a year ago, which have security cameras in every car. These cameras are vital resources that provide police with fast access to clear, high resolution images to accurately identify suspects and arrest them. The cameras also deter potential criminals from committing bad acts aboard trains and in stations. The cameras are complemented by other security measures, including the installation of LED lighting, which makes stations brighter and therefore safer.