Crime Rising on New York Subways, Even as City Rates Drop

New data from the police shows that fights and thefts on the city’s underground trains have climbed, while overall street crime has fallen. The latest month brought a shocking fourth killing on the subway this year, a jump of three hundred percent compared with last year. A repeat offender named Rhamell Burke, who was already in a hospital’s mental ward that afternoon, shoved 76‑year‑old Ross Falzone down the stairs of a Chelsea station later that night. Robberies have also gone up by eighteen percent, with 156 incidents reported so far in 2026 versus 132 last year. In contrast, violent assaults that are classified as felonies have slipped slightly—209 this year against 221 last year—but have risen sharply compared to the same period in 2024 and are sixty percent higher than seven years ago. Minor punches, counted as misdemeanor assaults, have climbed fifteen percent this year, from 500 to 573.

Overall major crimes in transit—murder, rape, robbery, felony assault and grand theft—are almost unchanged, dropping just one case from 733 to 732. Tickets for fare evasion have slipped eight percent, while grand thefts on trains are down a little more than two and a half percent. The police say they have stepped up their presence, adding over 175 officers to the subway each day. Despite this, riders report feeling uneasy; complaints about safety in the tunnels have risen thirty‑four percent. Witnesses describe violent scenes, from a man being pushed onto tracks to an attacker with a machete slashing passengers. Some commuters, including teachers and producers who ride the trains daily, say they feel less safe than in previous decades. The police argue that increased patrols and quick responses will help restore confidence, but many passengers still feel on edge as they navigate the city’s busiest underground system.

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