New York Commuter Rail Crime Drops 20.1% Through August
State officials report a second straight year of double-digit declines on the LIRR, Metro-North and Staten Island Railway, but the announcement does not cover the subway, buses or Amtrak service from Utica.
By David LaGuerre
New York commuter rail crime fell 20.1 percent during the first eight months of 2026 compared with the same period last year, according to figures released Monday by Gov. Kathy Hochul and the Metropolitan Transportation Authority.
The data cover major felonies reported on the Long Island Rail Road, Metro-North Railroad and Staten Island Railway, which are patrolled by the MTA Police Department. The combined category includes burglary, felony assault, grand larceny and robbery.
Officials said major crime on the three rail systems reached its lowest level in four years. The decline follows a 16.4 percent reduction during the first eight months of 2025, making 2026 the second year in a row with a double-digit decrease.
What the commuter rail crime figures show
The October 26 announcement from Hochul’s office provides percentage changes but does not list the total number of major felonies. It compares overall crime in January through August 2026 with the same months in 2025. For individual categories, the release uses a two-year comparison with 2024.
- All major felonies: Down 20.1 percent in the first eight months of 2026 compared with the same period in 2025.
- Burglary: Down 50 percent compared with the first eight months of 2024.
- Grand larceny: Down 18.1 percent compared with the first eight months of 2024.
- Vehicle grand larceny in station parking lots: Down 42.9 percent compared with 2024.
- Robbery: Down 39.3 percent compared with 2024.
- Reported rapes: None on the LIRR, Metro-North or Staten Island Railway since 2023, according to the state.
Reported crimes against LIRR and Metro-North employees and MTA police officers also declined. The state counted 107 such incidents through August 2026. That was down 55.4 percent from 240 during the same period in 2024 and down 10.8 percent from 120 in 2025.
Hochul credited added police patrols, cameras and better communication tools. MTA Chair and CEO Janno Lieber said rider surveys consistently identify safety as a leading concern. MTA Police Chief Thomas Taffe said the reduction reflects both public investment and officers’ work. Metro-North President Justin Vonashek and LIRR President Rob Free also linked the trend to security measures and staff priorities.
What the statistics do not tell us
A percentage decline is useful, but it does not answer every question. The release does not provide raw totals for the four major felony categories, a breakdown by individual railroad, or a rate per million rides. Without those figures, readers cannot calculate how often crime occurred relative to growing ridership or compare the risk at different stations.
The announcement also does not establish that any single intervention caused the decline. More patrols, cameras and faster information sharing may all contribute, but changes in ridership, reporting, enforcement and criminal activity can affect the numbers too.
Most importantly for readers, these statistics have clear boundaries. They do not describe crime on New York City subways or buses. They also do not cover Amtrak trains serving Utica, Rome and Syracuse. Subway crime is generally tracked by the New York Police Department, while Amtrak has its own police agency.
The MTA’s published safety metrics define major crimes as murder, rape, robbery, felony assault, burglary and grand larceny. The current governor’s release discusses the four categories that produced the reported combined decline. Readers should not treat the 20.1 percent figure as a measure of every offense, disturbance or safety problem aboard the railroads.
Security changes cited by the MTA
The LIRR and Metro-North recently adopted a Joint Security Strategy intended to get critical information to train crews more quickly. Tablets and cellular ticketing devices can receive alerts about missing people, individuals suspected in employee assaults or harassment, and persistent fare disputes.
The state says the strategy was associated with a 40 percent decline in disorderly customer incidents, a 47 percent decline in fare disputes and a 12 percent decline in requests for police help during the first six months of 2026 compared with the same period last year. Those figures show that several kinds of disruptive incidents moved in the same direction, although they do not prove that the technology alone caused the change.
MTA Police also increased visible patrols on commuter trains. The LIRR is adding panoramic cameras at stations, yards and grade crossings to reduce blind spots and help responders review live images. Staten Island Railway cars were replaced with R211 cars that include onboard cameras, while stations also received brighter LED lighting.
The Phoenix previously reported on security operations at Grand Central Terminal and on LIRR and Metro-North performance milestones. Those stories provide context for the broader effort to rebuild rider confidence as rail use grows.
Why this matters to Mohawk Valley travelers
The LIRR, Metro-North and Staten Island Railway do not serve Utica directly. Local travelers are more likely to use Amtrak’s Empire Service, which connects Utica with Albany, Buffalo, Niagara Falls and New York City. That service is outside the crime figures announced Monday.
The numbers still matter when a Mohawk Valley traveler reaches the New York City region. Amtrak passengers arriving at Moynihan Train Hall and Penn Station can transfer to the LIRR. Travelers continuing through Grand Central may use Metro-North for trips to the Hudson Valley, Connecticut and other suburbs. Visitors heading to Staten Island may eventually use the Staten Island Railway.
That is why the scope of a safety statistic matters as much as the headline. A Utica passenger should not assume the reported decline describes the entire trip. The Phoenix’s earlier coverage of a Penn Station stabbing and the resulting security response also shows how conditions at a major transfer point can affect Upstate travelers.
Practical safety steps for riders
A declining crime trend is encouraging, but it does not replace ordinary precautions. Riders should keep bags and phones under control, remain aware when platforms are crowded and move near other passengers or an employee if a situation feels unsafe.
- For an emergency: Call 911 or alert an MTA employee or police officer immediately.
- At an MTA station: Use a Help Point intercom where available. The MTA safety page also provides a nonemergency reporting form.
- For MTA Police nonemergencies: Call 212-878-1001, according to the MTA contact directory.
- On Amtrak or at the Utica station: Call Amtrak Police at 800-331-0008 or text APD11 to 27311. Call 911 for an immediate emergency.
- Report conduct, not identity: Describe the behavior, location, train number, car number or item that caused concern. Do not treat a person’s race, disability, housing status or appearance as suspicious by itself.
Passengers should also follow crew instructions during service disruptions. The Amtrak personal safety page recommends telling a crew member about threatening or suspicious behavior and waiting for directions before attempting to leave a stopped train.
What to watch next
The MTA can make the next update more useful by publishing the raw number of reported crimes, rates per million riders and railroad-by-railroad totals alongside the percentage changes. That would let the public measure both the size of the decline and the chance that an individual rider encounters a serious incident.
Officials should also continue reporting worker assaults, fare disputes, calls for police assistance and rider perceptions of safety. The MTA’s Fall 2025 survey found that 89 percent of Metro-North customers were satisfied with safety from crime or harassment aboard trains, while 81 percent were satisfied with station safety. Future surveys can show whether lower reported crime is also changing how riders feel.
The 20.1 percent decline is meaningful and worth reporting. It is also a government claim based on a limited set of systems and offenses. The strongest public-safety reporting will pair that progress with transparent counts, consistent comparisons and attention to the experiences of riders and workers.
Do you use the LIRR, Metro-North or Staten Island Railway when traveling from the Mohawk Valley? Share whether you have noticed changes in patrols, cameras or your sense of safety, and pass this guide to someone planning a trip.
