Law enforcement announced this week that crime in New York City’s subway system increased by almost 20% in 2020. The news came after a number of high-profile attacks on passengers as well as complaints that the popular public transit system was beset by drug use and vagrants.
In particular, the subway system has seen a sharp increase in the number of robberies, larcenies and attacks. In particular, grand larcenies grew by 22% last year. Attacks increased by 17% while robberies increased by 12%.
So far this year, there have been two murders in the subway system, double last year’s figure. There has also been an increase in shootings, including several injured earlier this month.
In the attack Feb. 12 an innocent bystander was killed and five others were injured during a shooting at a Bronx station. The injured included two teenagers while the deceased was identified as a 35-year-old man.
There has also been a marked increase in the number of arrests in the city’s subways, up 44% in 2024 so far, compared to the same period last year. This includes 504 felony arrests.
Mayor Eric Adams (D) said that the city would increase its police coverage in the subway system following a 2022 decision to reduce police presence. Adams said that the original program had to be curtailed “after the money ran out.”
The mayor said that his administration sought more “visibility, moving officers walking through the trains, being at the platforms [and] being able to talk to people and identify where the crime is actually taking place.”
The news also came after a high-profile subway attack earlier this week in the borough of Queens.
There has been a significant increase in crime in New York’s subway and in the city in general following the 2020 George Floyd riots.
Tonight, my niece & her boyfriend were victims of a hate crime in New York City
A drunk woman on the subway saw my neice's boyfriend was wearing a kippah and started yelling antisemitic & anti-Israel slurs
As the drunk was getting off the subway, she poured a bottle of wine on… pic.twitter.com/xMV9xhIrkq
— Ari Hoffman (@thehoffather) February 12, 2024
Statistics released earlier this month also showed a marked increase in injuries to members of the NYPD while interacting with suspects.
There has also been a noticeable increase in crime following the recent influx of migrants into the city.
