The murder of a commuter aboard a D train in the Bronx on Friday morning marked 2024’s third killing on the New York City subway, despite a surge of NYPD officers in public transit and extensive systemwide surveillance.
During a press conference near the 182nd-183rd Streets station where a 45-year-old man was killed on Friday, NYPD Transit Chief Michael Kemper insisted the additional police presence is “paying dividends” — but also acknowledged a 45% increase in overall crime in January compared to the same month last year.
An increase in grand larcenies aboard the trains is largely behind the spike, but the three murders on the subway this year mean the city is on track to surpass 2023’s total of five murders.
“Look, our cops are out there, they’re visible,” Kemper said. “Our riders, I know they see them. [Officers are] riding trains, they’re on platforms, they’re engaging with acts of lawlessness every single day.”
MTA Chair Janno Lieber said overall crime was down this month compared to February of last year, though there’s still a week left. He noted there are more than 1,000 surveillance cameras on the trains and cameras in all 472 stations.
Those devices captured images of the suspects in Friday’s killing in Fordham Heights, officials said.
“We’re not going to tell New Yorkers don’t be concerned when there’s a shooting, but overall crime that the trajectory is crime is down versus last year in the month of February,” Lieber said. “And with the NYPD’s surge of personnel we’re hopeful that’s going to stay there.”
That surge comes at a cost to taxpayers. Gothamist previously reported the NYPD spent $155 million on overtime for subway security in 2022, when there was a 2% drop in overall crime in major crimes on the trains.
Police said they expected to quickly make arrests for the murder at the 182nd-183rd Streets station. But the NYPD declined to take questions about the status of investigations into the two other murders in the subway system…
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