Subway Crime, Major Felonies Drop In April Amid Protests: NYPD

NEW YORK CITY — Major crime hopped off New York City's subways and streets amid the turmoil on the city's campuses in April, data shows.

Transit crime fell 23 percent compared to last April, while murders fell 30 percent during the same span, according to NYPD monthly crime statistics released Tuesday.

The city overall saw nearly 500 fewer major crimes in April compared to the same month last year, the data shows.

"Both crime above ground and transit crime, they're both down while managing the large amount and number of protests that are taking place in this city," Mayor Eric Adams said.

A wave of high-profile subway crime gripped New Yorkers' attention as 2024 dawned.

The perception of increasing danger prompted both Adams and Gov. Kathy Hochul to surge police and, controversially, the National Guard, into the subway system in March.

But transit crime was already on the decline as troops swarmed the subway system to perform bag checks.

April's numbers continued a downward trend for most crimes, data shows.

The unrest on campuses such as Columbia University's, while also garnering national headlines, appears to barely have made a blip in terms of overall crime, according to the data.

The city has, however, arrested roughly 1,600 more people this year than last, data shows. About a quarter of those arrests involved campus protesters, at least according to past data.