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Safest summer in subway history, but NYPD says 'betrayal' looms
By
Charles Lane
Published Oct 2, 2025
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Ed Reed/Mayoral Photography Office
By
Charles Lane
Published Oct 2, 2025
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New York City’s subway system recorded its safest summer in recorded history outside of the pandemic, with transit crime falling nearly 5% so far this year compared to last year.
But police officials warned Wednesday that future safety gains could be jeopardized by massive cuts to federal counterterrorism funding.
The months of July, August and September each set individual records for low transit crime, excluding pandemic years, according to NYPD data. There were just two transit shootings to date, compared with six last year.
"Overall crime in our subways is nearly 12% below pre-pandemic levels," NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch said at Wednesday’s announcement. "These results don't just make the transit system safer. They make people feel safer, too."
Despite the improvements, overall major crime remains well above pre-pandemic levels, according to NYPD data. So far this year, there have been about 90,000 major crimes compared to 70,000 at the same time in 2019.
Officials credited this summer’s drop in shootings to redeploying officers from desk jobs and putting an additional 2,300 officers on specific streets in 72 high-crime areas across 59 communities, known as “summer violence zones.” In those zones, shootings fell 47% over 19 weeks, police said.
Crime declined overall in three of the city's five boroughs over the summer, with citywide crime dropping 4%, officials said. Staten Island and Brooklyn were the outliers, with overall crime increasing 4% and 2% respectively.
But in stark language, Tisch called planned federal cuts to the city’s counterterrorism programs "devastating" and a “betrayal,” warning they would undermine future safety efforts.
"It will absolutely be a less safe place six months from now. Let me be clear. These funds are the backbone of New York's counterterrorism programs," she said.
Tisch said the Trump administration’s planned cuts would cost the NYPD’s counterterrorism programs $80 million a year. She said the cuts would not affect crime-fighting abilities, just counterterrorism operations.
The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
New York Attorney General Letitia James sued the Department of Homeland Security on Tuesday to stop the funding cuts.
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new york city
public safety
Charles Lane
Charles is a Day-of reporter focused on breaking news and enterprise. He’s very friendly and can be reached at [email protected], or more securely on whatsapp/signal 631-295-6715
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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