Raoul Rivas doesn’t need to be told that the subway is becoming more unsafe. He has the marks to prove it: nine gleaming silver staples running down his side as a result of an unprovoked assault by a stranger. Last month, Mr. Rivas, a construction worker, and his girlfriend were riding the train home from Lower Manhattan when a man yelled at them for no apparent reason. The man charged forward with a knife as they exited the train in the Bronx, stabbing Mr. Rivas five times. He explained, “People don’t get it, this is genuine.” “I never imagined myself as a victim, however things happen. Thank God I’m still alive.”
While violence on the New York City subway is always a possibility, a recent wave of especially violent attacks on riders and transit employees has fueled concerns that the vast underground system — a mainstay of urban life — is more unsafe than it has been in years and threatens to undermine the city’s recovery.
City officials and transit officials have squabbled about whether subway crime has genuinely increased — available evidence paints a mixed image — or whether it is merely a perception fueled by a constant barrage of stories and news warnings about subway abuse, which has alarmed many passengers.
Overall crime is down, but ridership is up, pushing the per-rider crime rate higher than in recent years and creating a sense of increased risk. Concerns over subway safety are the latest setback for a vital part of the city’s future. The crowds that once clogged the subway have thinned, as has the sense of security that comes with getting more eyes and bodies to discourage opportunity crimes. Crime may increase as a result of deserted trains and stations, holding some people away, making the system even more empty, and setting off a damaging loop.
Mayor Bill de Blasio, who has been under fire from Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo and transit officials for not doing enough to keep subway riders and staff safe, declared on Monday that he will send 250 additional police officers to the subway. According to Mr. de Blasio, this adds to the more than 3,000 officers currently patrolling the subway system, making it the greatest force in the system in 25 years. Auxiliary police, who are unarmed but well-trained volunteers, have been assigned to the 20 busiest subway stations.
Despite this, the mayor and city police officials believe that the subway is secure and that crime fears are exaggerated. The Metropolitan Transportation Authority, which runs the subways, has requested more police officers and money to assist homeless and mentally ill people who seek shelter on the subways. The topic has taken on political overtones, pitting Mr. de Blasio against his opponent, Mr. Cuomo, who is in charge of the M.T.A. and the subways. Riders are afraid to take them, according to him. On Monday, the governor, who seldom takes the subway, told reporters, “I believe we have been under policed for quite some time.”
Subway crime has also become a hot topic in the city’s mayoral race, with several leading Democratic candidates raising concerns about it during a recent debate, though they disagreed on whether more police were needed.
