NEW YORK CITY – A new battle is brewing between the feds and the MTA over New York City subway crime stats.
‘Make it safe’
What they’re saying:
“So if you include the pick-pocketers in those stats, yes, pick-pocketers might have gone down, but assaults have gone up to your point, Emily, by 66% since 2019,” Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said in an appearance on FOX News. “Listen, if you want the federal government to participate in funding your subway system, your bus system – make it safe.”
Duffy on Tuesday posted a portion of the interview to social media, writing in his caption, in part: “The @MTA has seen a 66% INCREASE in ASSAULTS since 2019.”
Duffy claims the NYPD’s crime stats released in April, which show subway crime dipping to its lowest point in 27 years – including the absence of a murder in the transit system during the first quarter of 2025 – don’t reflect reality. He also slammed congestion pricing, calling it a scheme that officials only say is working because they’re making money off of it.
His comments come days after the MTA, as well as New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, celebrated its six-month anniversary and touted the program’s success. Duffy first wrote a letter to the MTA back in March, and followed it up with a second letter to the agency this week, demanding to know what’s being done to bolster subway safety.
MTA responds
The other side:
Meanwhile, MTA Chair and CEO Janno Lieber fired back, saying the MTA had already given the DOT what it was looking for months ago.
“Three months ago, they asked us for information on security,” Lieber said. “We sent them 20 pages of information on the good news that crime is down in every significant way, and we talked about all the MTA efforts, cameras and otherwise. More police presence to get it done.”
During the remarks, Lieber also reiterated his point that congestion pricing is working and that it has been a huge success. He says congestion is down, ridership on mass transit is up, and traffic-related injuries are decreasing.
New York CityNYC SubwayCrime and Public Safety