New York City Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch announced a three-part transit plan during her State of the NYPD Address on Thursday, Jan. 30. The plan aims to make subway riders feel safer.
Tisch shared that overall index crime was down in 2024. It includes a 3.6% decrease in murders, a 2.3% drop in robberies and a 5.7% decline in burglaries. NYPD statistics also showed a 17% reduction in crime in January 2025.
Part one of the commissioner’s plan is already in action: the redeployment of 200 officers to subway trains and platforms.
“Two months ago, I re-examined our existing transit deployment and found entirely too many cops were posted at subway entrances, mezzanines, and turnstiles, and not enough were on the trains and the platforms where 78% of transit crime actually occurs,” Tisch said.
Despite the decline in crime statistics, Tisch acknowledged that many New Yorkers do not feel safe. She said having more officers on subway trains will allow them to address issues as they arise.
“The idea behind this initiative, frankly, is to not only make our riders safer but also to make them feel safer,” Tisch said.
Part two focuses on expanding mental health training and matching services with enforcement when necessary to address the need for care during mental health crises.
“Our subway trains and platforms are not homeless shelters. They are not psychiatric hospitals. And as a city, we have a moral duty to provide services to people who need them,” Tisch said.
Part three of the plan calls for creating a Quality-of-Life Division within the police department. It aims to address low-level quality-of-life crimes such as public urination, aggressive panhandling, unruly street vending and abandonment of vehicles.
“These smaller crimes make people in the community feel unsafe and can lead to bigger issues and crimes,” Tisch said.
Tisch noted that the logistics of each phase are still being finalized, and the initiatives will continue to roll out and be refined over the coming months.