NYC Riders Face New Transit Crime Surge

Major crime on New York City’s transit system jumped nearly 11% in July, driven by more violent attacks and thefts on subways and buses, even as officials still tout “historic” safety overall.

Story Snapshot

Transit crime in July rose about 10.9% compared with last July, according to New York City Police Department data.
Police say felony assaults and grand larcenies were the main drivers of the July increase in subway and bus crime.
Year to date, transit crime remains roughly flat or slightly down, but robberies and assaults have climbed in key windows.
The mixed numbers deepen public distrust of officials who highlight “record safety” while riders feel less safe underground.

Transit Crime Jumped in July, Even as Citywide Crime Fell

New York City Police Department data show major crime in the transit system rose 10.9% in July, with 14 more incidents than the same month last year. Police said the July spike was largely fueled by felony assaults and nonviolent grand larcenies, including thefts of unattended bags and phones on trains and platforms. This jump came while broader citywide index crime has edged down, allowing leaders to claim New York City is on track for its safest year on record.

For everyday riders, this split picture is confusing and troubling. On the one hand, officials point to long-term progress and historic lows in shootings and murders, giving the impression that basic safety problems are under control. On the other hand, the crimes people most feel on a crowded subway—muggings, beatings, and having their property snatched—are rising in important time frames. That gap between the headline and lived experience feeds the sense that government is more focused on public relations than on serious problems.

Robberies and Assaults Are Rising Beneath “Flat” Overall Numbers

A midyear look at New York City Police Department transit data found 1,085 major transit crimes from January through June 2026, slightly fewer than the 1,093 recorded over the same period in 2025. The small drop came almost entirely from fewer grand larcenies, which fell about 7.2% and are now near historic lows. Once theft is stripped out, the categories that scare riders most—robbery, felony assault, and even murder—have all climbed compared with recent years.

Earlier New York City Police Department reports showed transit robberies up 15 to 21% over the same span last year, with muggings on trains and buses rising from just over 100 to around 130 incidents in early spring. Data released in February reported major transit crimes up 17% year to date, with robbery cases jumping 58% and assaults up 9%. Police officials stressed that the raw numbers are still relatively low, but that offers little comfort to riders who feel they are rolling the dice every time they step onto a platform.

Extreme Weather, Youth Crime, and Elderly Victims

New York City Police Department leaders have pointed to several reasons for the transit crime increase. In January and February, the department blamed a sharp uptick on an unusually cold snap that pushed more people, including homeless New Yorkers, into the subway system for shelter. During that period, transit crimes rose 11 to 17% year to date, though police stressed that levels were still lower than they had been two and seven years before.

At a July crime briefing, New York City’s mayor and Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said murders in transit were up by two for the year, while robberies rose by 18 incidents and felony assaults by 20 incidents. They said youth crime is part of the problem, with “kids as young as 12 and 13 years old” committing robberies in the system. July’s 10.9% transit crime spike also included more assaults on elderly riders, who made up nearly a fifth of felony assault victims for the month.

Why Riders Across the Political Spectrum Are Frustrated

Reports from Governor Kathy Hochul’s office and New York City Police Department press releases present another side of the story: overall subway crime today is lower than before the pandemic and far below levels seen in 2019. Officials highlight that 2025 transit crime was down more than 14% from 2019, and that New York City is “on track for the safest year in recorded history” in 2026. These claims are based on broad totals and long time frames, which do matter for the big picture.

Transit crime spikes nearly 11% in July – with felony assaults, robberies helping fuel rise: NYPD https://t.co/PehJPEWgjM pic.twitter.com/812RyYrBO6

— New York Post (@nypost) August 3, 2026

Yet many New Yorkers do not travel inside averages; they ride at specific times on specific lines. When July brings an 11% jump in transit crime, when robberies and assaults are up over the prior year, and when murders underground have doubled compared with a recent baseline, they feel less safe. For conservatives and liberals alike, this fuels a familiar concern: leaders talk about “historic safety” while dangerous trends in everyday places like buses and subways are brushed aside.