NEW YORK (PIX11) — Ongoing New York City transit safety efforts involving more police officers, more surveillance cameras, and more services for the homeless and mentally ill appear to be paying off, with a 27% drop in system crime so far in 2023, NYPD statistics show.
Mayor Eric Adams and Gov. Kathy Hochul are set to keep up the push, making a joint announcement on subway safety at 10 a.m. Friday.
Since late 2022, the city and state have collaborated on efforts to tamp down violent crime in the transit system, while also stepping up help for the mentally ill and homeless within the system.
Services offered to the mentally ill and homeless range from more psychiatric hospital beds and long-term housing options to peer support and employment and educational opportunities.
Those components are in addition to the NYPD’s creation of approximately 1,200 daily overtime shifts starting last fall. Department statistics current through Jan. 22 show that the efforts may finally be helping, with a 27.6% decline in transit crime so far in 2023. That significant drop comes even as overall city crime is up slightly on the year, by about 0.7 %.
Friday’s announcement comes as weekday subway ridership figures continue to tick up, recently reaching their highest level since before the COVID-19 pandemic.
