Celebrating NYC’s Success in Combating Subway Crime – Can It be Sustained?

Mayor Adams and Gov. Hochul have recently proven that increasing the number of police officers in the subways leads to a decrease in crime – at least to some extent.

They announced on Wednesday that overall subway crime has decreased by 8% this year compared to last year, and is now 11% lower than in 2019, before the pandemic.

However, the decrease is not as significant as they claim, and there is no long-term plan in place to sustain this downward trend in crime.

What will happen once the surged police presence is removed?

Mayor Adams mentioned “five straight months of double-digit decreases,” highlighting that robberies this year are at their lowest point “in recorded history.”

“Today, other than during the pandemic, our transit system is the safest it’s been in 14 years,” Mayor Adams proudly stated.

This achievement follows the addition of more than 1,000 officers in February and another 800 to combat fare evasion earlier this year. Governor Hochul also deployed the National Guard and state police to the subways.

Additional efforts such as increasing security cameras and the presence of mental health professionals have also contributed to the decline in crime.

However, this is not the first time there has been a “subway surge” under the leadership of Adams & Co. Past successes have often been short-lived once the surge ends.

While certain types of crimes like robberies have decreased (by 22.5% from last year and 12.7% from five years ago), others have increased:

• There have been six murders in the subways this year, compared to five last year and two in 2019. Previously, having more than one or two murders in the entire year was rare.

• Felony assaults have decreased by 7% compared to 2023 but are 51% higher than in 2019.

• The number of shooting victims has more than doubled since last year and tripled in the past five years.

In summary, violent crime still appears to be increasing.

While the increased police presence and fare evasion crackdown have been effective, Mayor Adams is now proposing the installation of gun-detecting scanners in the subway.

However, the data provided by Mayor Adams does not specify how many arrests have led to prosecutions, and whether harsher consequences for criminals could have produced better results, especially in reducing violent crime.

It is unlikely that the additional law enforcement personnel can remain indefinitely; they will inevitably be needed elsewhere, potentially leading to another spike in crime in the subways.

Credit should be given to the mayor, governor, and MTA boss Janno Lieber for making progress in improving subway safety.

New Yorkers need assurance that they will be safe in the subway; if too many people avoid it, the city’s recovery will be hindered.

However, the city requires a long-term plan (such as expanding the NYPD and ensuring that lawbreakers face meaningful consequences) rather than relying on temporary solutions.