The MTA just reported the safest July in the history of NYC with less than one crime per million riders committed in the subway system for the month.
Overall, the MTA saw an 8% drop in major felony crimes compared to this time last year. According to NYPD statistics, robberies were down 16.7%, felony assaults down 9.3% and grand larcenies down 6%. Plus, no burglaries were reported for all of July 2025. The MTA hasn’t reported a July with this low of crime since CompStat began tracking in 1995, excluding the pandemic.
So, what changed? Ever since Governor Kathy Hochul introduced the Five Point Plan for Subway Safety more than a year ago, the MTA has:
- Increased overnight patrols
- Deployed thousands more security cameras
- Expanded mental health outreach through SCOUT homeless outreach teams
- Implemented bag checks
- Installed platform barriers
- Cracked down on fare evasion
- Increased LED lighting throughout the system
As crime declines, more New Yorkers are returning to the subways, with ridership rising from 3,441,771 in July 2024 to 3,857,298 in July 2025.
“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, transit crime is down year-to-date, led by a drop in overall assaults, even as more riders return to the system.”
MTA Chair and CEO Janno Lieber added, “we’re making sure the transit system not only is safe but feels safe for our six million daily riders.”