New York City subway thefts increase by 90% as overall crime rises

Thefts in New York City’s transit system have increased by almost 90% this year, according to police data released on Monday.

This year there were 646 reported incidents of grand larcenies in the city’s subways and buses, 88.9% more than the 342 incidents reported last year. 

The city’s crime trends on the subway are taking their toll on ridership numbers. Currently, the Big Apple’s subway is only seeing about 60% of its 2019 ridership. Buses are seeing about 54% of their pre-pandemic numbers. 

“I don’t feel safe on the trains,” said Jo-Ann Jones, a New Yorker who lives in Harlem. “I’m afraid to go out after 8 o’clock.”

The data also shows that overall major transit crimes, including rapes, robberies, and felony assaults, have increased by 52% compared to the same period last year. 

Major crime in the city as a whole remains up 36% this year, despite shootings and murders dropping by about 10%. The crime has been driven by upticks in Brooklyn, southern Queens, and Staten Island. 

Murders decreased 8.1% from 284 incidents last year to 261 this year, and shootings dropped 7.4% from 1,101 to 1,020, according to NYPD data. 

“The politicians will say ‘Murder is down!’ and ignore everything else,” said Joseph Giacalone, a retired NYPD sergeant and adjunct professor at John Jay College of Criminal Justice in Manhattan.

“Meanwhile, everything else is God awful.”

Grand larceny in the city increased by 48.3%, from 20,374 cases last year to 30,205 this year. Similarly, car theft increased by 42% from 5,589 to 7,939, and robbery increased by 39.8%, from 7,366 to 10,294 incidents. 

The statistics showed that rapes increased 10% in the previous year, from 892 to 989. Similarly, felonious assaults were up 19.5%, from 13,086 incidents to 15,640. 

“We know that any crime increase in our city is wholly unacceptable,” said Police Commissioner Keechant L. Sewell. “Everyone who lives, works, and visits here deserves to be safe, and the members of the NYPD will tolerate nothing less – but we cannot do it alone. When violent criminals are willing to carry illegal guns on our streets and brazenly shoot at innocent people, they must face real consequences.