New York City's subway system has witnessed a disturbing surge in violent crime since 2020, with more fatalities recorded than in the preceding 15 years, according to data from the New York Police Department (NYPD).
This alarming trend has persisted into 2024, despite increased police presence and surveillance measures aimed at curbing criminal activity.
The NYPD has documented 32 murders on subway trains and platforms since 2020, surpassing the total of 31 murders recorded between 2005 and 2019. The current year has already seen three subway murders, suggesting that the city is on course to exceed last year's total of five subway killings.
NYPD Transit Chief, Michael Kemper, expressed his concern at a press conference last month, following the murder of a 45-year-old subway passenger. He revealed that crime had surged by 45 percent in January compared to the previous year, as reported by Gothamist.
"Our cops are out there, they're visible," Kemper stated. "Our riders, I know they see them. [Officers are] riding trains, they're on platforms, they're engaging with acts of lawlessness every single day."
However, Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) chair, Janno Lieber, downplayed the increase in subway crime during an MTA board meeting last month. Despite the unsettling statistics, Lieber insisted that the situation was not as dire as it seemed.
"On average, last year, we had six felony crimes a day in a ridership of 4 million," Lieber said. I'm not going to argue about the statistics. I'm just saying that we need to push back on both the reality and the perception of crime.
Lieber also noted that over 1,000 surveillance cameras had been installed on trains, in addition to cameras in all 472 stations. However, the financial burden of these security measures falls on taxpayers. As Gothamist reported, the NYPD spent $155 million on overtime for subway security in 2022, despite only a 2 percent decline in significant crimes committed on the trains.
Among the victims of this year's subway violence was Richie Henderson, 45, who was shot and killed while attempting to intervene in a dispute over loud music on a 3 train in Crown Heights, Brooklyn. The suspect remains at large.
In another incident, Obed Beltran-Sanchez, a 35-year-old immigrant from Mexico, was shot and killed on a 4 train at the Mount Eden Avenue station following a dispute between two teenagers. A 16-year-old suspect has since been arrested in connection with the shooting.
On February 23, a 45-year-old man was shot and killed at a Bronx subway station as a southbound D train arrived at the station on 182nd Street and Grand Concourse in Fordham Heights. The three suspects have not yet been apprehended, but surveillance footage has provided images that the NYPD hopes will lead to arrests.
The escalating violence on New York City's subway system underscores the urgent need for effective strategies to combat crime and ensure the safety of millions of daily commuters. Despite increased police presence and surveillance, the city's subway system remains a dangerous environment, with the cost of these security measures borne by taxpayers. As the city grapples with this crisis, the safety of its residents hangs in the balance.
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