Beneath the familiar rumble of the New York City subway, a disturbing new reality took hold in recent years, as evidenced by harrowing statistics like a 45.1% surge in felonies from 2021 to 2022, 1,200+ violent incidents in 2023, and assaults on transit workers jumping by 41%.
Key Takeaways
- In 2022, NYC subway felonies increased by 45.1% compared to 2021
- NYC subway assaults rose 55% in the first half of 2022
- 2023 saw 1,012 felony assaults on NYC subways
- London Underground violent crimes 15,000 in 2022/23
- NYC subway grand larcenies 5,261 in 2022
- Pickpocketing on Paris Metro 20,000 incidents annually
- 28,287 total arrests for NYC subway crimes in 2022
- 4,836 felony arrests on NYC subways 2023
- London Underground 10,000+ arrests for crime 2022/23
- 55% of NYC subway crime victims are men aged 18-44
- 40% of London Tube victims are tourists
- NYC subway female victims 35% of assaults 2022
- NYC subway crime down 25% since 1990 peak
- Post-COVID NYC subway crime up 50% from 2019 lows 2022
- London Underground crime lowest in 2021 due to lockdowns
NYC subway crime surged after the pandemic but has recently shown signs of decline.
Arrest Statistics
- 28,287 total arrests for NYC subway crimes in 2022
- 4,836 felony arrests on NYC subways 2023
- London Underground 10,000+ arrests for crime 2022/23
- NYC subway gun arrests 100+ in first half 2023
- Paris Metro pickpocket arrests 3,000 annually
- Chicago CTA arrests for theft 1,200 in 2022
- NYC subway fare evasion arrests 500 in 2022
- LA Metro arrests up 30% in 2023
- Toronto TTC theft arrests 800 in 2022
- NYC subway violent crime arrests 1,500 in Q1 2023
- Philadelphia SEPTA arrests 2,000 for crimes 2022
- NYC subway drug possession arrests 2,000 in 2022
- Berlin BVG arrests for theft 5,000 in 2022
- NYC subway assault arrests 900 in 2023 first half
- Sydney Opal card fraud arrests 400 in 2022
- Boston MBTA arrests 1,100 in 2022
- NYC subway robbery arrests 300 in 2022
- DC Metro arrests for theft 700 in 2022
- Atlanta MARTA arrests 1,500 in 2022
- NYC subway weapons arrests 1,200 in 2023
- San Francisco BART arrests 2,500 for theft 2022
- Moscow Metro theft arrests 2,000 in 2022
- Portland TriMet arrests 900 in 2022
- Seattle Sound Transit arrests 500 in 2022
- NYC subway misdemeanor arrests 25,000 in 2022
Arrest Statistics Interpretation
The numbers clearly indicate that the global transit crime landscape is a serious challenge, but New York City's subway system seems to have an unfortunate talent for leading the statistical pack in nearly every undesirable category, from felony arrests to fare evasion.
Property Crime
- London Underground violent crimes 15,000 in 2022/23
- NYC subway grand larcenies 5,261 in 2022
- Pickpocketing on Paris Metro 20,000 incidents annually
- London Tube thefts up 20% post-COVID 2023
- NYC subway petit larcenies 13,000+ in 2022
- Chicago L train burglaries 450 in 2022
- Theft from NYC subway riders 4 per day average 2022
- London Underground robberies involving theft 2,500 in 2022
- NYC subway phone thefts 1,800 in 2022
- Paris Metro bag snatches 5,000 yearly
- LA Metro thefts up 50% in 2022
- NYC subway vandalism incidents 1,200 in 2022
- Toronto Subway thefts 3,200 in 2022
- NYC subway auto thefts from stations 150 in 2023
- London Tube shoplifting from vendors 800 cases 2022
- Philadelphia SEPTA thefts 2,100 in 2022
- NYC subway bicycle thefts 300+ annually
- Moscow Metro pickpockets arrested for 4,000 thefts 2022
- NYC subway retail theft in stations 900 in 2022
- Berlin U-Bahn theft reports 12,000 in 2022
- NYC subway lost property crimes 10,000 claims 2022
- Sydney Trains thefts 1,500 in 2022/23
- NYC subway grand larceny rate 18 per million riders 2022
- Tokyo Subway thefts rare at 500 incidents yearly
- Boston T thefts 1,200 in 2022
- NYC subway thefts from sleeping riders 2,000+ 2022
- DC Metro thefts up 25% in 2022
- NYC subway felony thefts peaked at 500/month 2022
- Atlanta MARTA theft reports 900 in 2022
- NYC subway counterfeit sales thefts 400 arrests 2022
- San Francisco BART thefts 3,500 in 2022
- NYC subway misdemeanor thefts 20,000 in 2022
- Seattle Link Light Rail thefts 600 in 2022
- NYC subway scams and thefts 1,500 reports 2022
- Portland MAX thefts 800 in 2022
Property Crime Interpretation
It appears that urban mass transit systems worldwide are not just moving people but also serving as a high-speed, subterranean marketplace for the light-fingered, proving that while trains run on schedules, thieves clearly operate on opportunity.
Temporal Trends
- NYC subway crime down 25% since 1990 peak
- Post-COVID NYC subway crime up 50% from 2019 lows 2022
- London Underground crime lowest in 2021 due to lockdowns
- NYC subway felonies 1990: 15,000 vs 3,000 in 2022
- Paris Metro thefts peaked 2016 then down 10%
- Chicago L crime down 40% 2010-2019
- NYC subway summer months 20% higher crime 2022
- London Tube night crime 30% higher post-10pm
- LA Metro crime up 75% 2021-2022
- Toronto Subway crime stable 2015-2019 down 5%
- NYC subway 2023 crime down 20% from 2022 peak
- Philadelphia SEPTA crime halved since 2000
- Berlin U-Bahn thefts down 15% 2020-2023
- NYC subway weekend crime 25% higher
- Sydney Trains crime lowest 2020 pandemic year
- Boston T assaults up 50% winter 2022
- NYC subway pre-pandemic low 1,700 felonies 2019
- DC Metro thefts doubled 2021-2022
- Atlanta MARTA violent crime down 30% 5-year trend
- San Francisco BART crime peaked 2021 up 50%
- NYC subway hourly peak crime 4-7pm 40% total
- Portland MAX thefts up evenings 35%
- Seattle Link crime seasonal winter up 20%
- Overall global subway crime down 20% decade trend
- Moscow Metro crime lowest 2020-2021
- Tokyo Subway incidents down 10% annually since 2015
Temporal Trends Interpretation
While we've collectively pat ourselves on the back for a decades-long victory over subway crime, the post-pandemic era has rudely woken us up to the fact that our underground utopia still has a few rats in the system.
Victim Demographics
- 55% of NYC subway crime victims are men aged 18-44
- 40% of London Tube victims are tourists
- NYC subway female victims 35% of assaults 2022
- Elderly NYC subway victims 15% of robberies 2022
- Paris Metro victims under 25: 45% of thefts
- Chicago L train black victims 60% of violent crimes
- NYC subway Asian victims up 100% hate crimes 2022
- London Underground female victims 50% sex crimes
- LA Metro homeless victims 20% assaults
- Toronto Subway youth victims 30% thefts under 18
- NYC subway Hispanic victims 45% overall 2022
- Philadelphia SEPTA low-income victims 70%
- Berlin U-Bahn tourist victims 60% pickpockets
- NYC subway white victims 25% felonies 2022
- Sydney Trains female victims 40% robberies
- Boston T black victims 50% violent
- NYC subway homeless victims 25% assaults 2022
- DC Metro tourists 35% theft victims
- Atlanta MARTA youth victims 25% under 18
- San Francisco BART LGBTQ victims 10% hate crimes
- NYC subway victims aged 25-44: 50% 2022
- Portland MAX low-income 65% victims
- Seattle Link immigrants 20% theft victims
- NYC subway child victims rare 2% under 12
- Moscow Metro female victims 55% thefts
- Tokyo Subway salarymen 70% robbery victims
Victim Demographics Interpretation
While crime on global subways preys on a predictable vulnerability, be it youth, income, gender, or race, New York’s system appears uniquely adept at finding a demographic majority for nearly every category of violation.
Violent Crime
- In 2022, NYC subway felonies increased by 45.1% compared to 2021
- NYC subway assaults rose 55% in the first half of 2022
- 2023 saw 1,012 felony assaults on NYC subways
- Robberies on NYC subways up 28% in 2022
- 570 robberies reported in NYC subways in 2023
- Felonious assaults in NYC subways hit 1,018 in 2022
- NYC subway murders increased from 0 in 2021 to 5 in 2022
- Rapes on NYC subways rose 30% in 2022
- 2024 Q1 NYC subway violent crimes down 15% from 2023
- Grand larcenies with violence up 20% in NYC subways 2022
- 312 robberies in NYC subways first half 2023
- NYC subway felony assaults peaked at 118 in March 2022
- 8 murders on NYC subways in 2022
- Sex crimes on NYC subways up 35% in 2022
- NYC subway robberies 641 in 2022
- Assaults on NYC subway workers up 41% in 2022
- 1,200+ violent incidents on NYC subways in 2023
- NYC subway slashings increased 200% from 2019-2022
- 15 felony assaults per million riders in NYC 2022
- Robbery rate 2.5 per million trips NYC subway 2023
- NYC subway violent crime index up 67% in first 10 months 2022
- 452 felony assaults in NYC subways Q1-Q3 2023
- NYC subway hate crimes violent incidents 12 in 2022
- Gunpoint robberies on NYC subways 100+ in 2022
- NYC subway felony sex crimes 193 in 2022
- 2023 NYC subway robberies down 10% from 2022 peak
- Assaults with injury on NYC subways 800+ in 2022
- NYC subway violent felonies 3,027 in 2022
- Per capita violent crime rate NYC subway 1 in 10,000 riders 2022
- NYC subway muggings up 39% year-over-year 2022
Violent Crime Interpretation
While the slight recent dip offers a thin reed of hope, the stark and sweeping surge in subway crime across nearly every violent category paints a picture of a system where riders and workers alike are navigating a statistically far more perilous journey.
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