Mayor's office says major transit crimes are down 1 year since police flooded subway system
NEW YORK CITY (WABC) -- It's been a year since New York Governor Kathy Hochul introduced her plan to improve safety on the subway.
The mayor's office says major transit crimes are down 29% and arrests are up 71%.
"There are police officers on this train," a conductor said.
"That's what we want to hear. People say what do New Yorkers want? I wanna see more cops," MTA CEO Janno Lieber said.
A year later, the MTA's chairman says the results are palpable.
"You can't see it Josh, but every subway car old or brand new has a camera. We didn't have it a year ago," Lieber said.
Eyewitness News was along for the ride as Lieber toured the system after 9 p.m. on Thursday.
That's the time an army of cops fan out into the system: two officers deployed on every train, every night, all night.
"And what the governor has done is she actually came up with the money to put more cops in the system and you know the results are almost immediate," Lieber said.
All the extra cops in the system have yielded a staggering 71% increase in arrests just since this time last year.
The biggest news is that Hochul says major transit crimes are now below pre-pandemic levels, down 28% since 2019 and down 55% since 2001.
"I feel like nothing's changed. I mean you have to be street smart," said subway rider Jenna Komensky.
Police have faced a persistent perception problem fueled by the small number of random crimes in the system.
It's the stuff of urban nightmares that keep passengers' backs to the wall, though the police presence is clearly noticeable for Jara Fatty a subway sider in the Bronx.
"Now it looks like I feel safe. Any station you go you see two cops or four cops. So now you look like you safer than before," Fatty said.
"It's not just about statistics. New Yorkers when they see a lot of people struggling with mental health issues, terrible high profile crimes, that impacts on how people feel and safety that they feel so we have to address mental health issues and there has been progress made," Lieber said.
Crime is down but ridership is also up - 7% over last year. More than 4 million people riding the train, swiping in every day so far this year. The MTA says it's proof this once-beleaguered system is finally on the right track.
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