2021 sees a spike in attacks on the New York subway: what to expect next

Subway collision incidents in Manhattan are on the rise and will more than double in 2021 from an already abnormally high number in 2020, District Attorney Cy Vance said. Writes about it New York Post.

"There is an alarming trend that I want to draw attention to, namely the increase in the crowd in the subway in Manhattan," said the attorney. "This is causing serious concern and tremendous fear among people using public transport."

So far in 2021, there have been six collisions in the area in the area, "which could pick up the pace to 27-28 by the end of the year," Vance said.

By comparison, Vance said there were 2020 such incidents in the area in 11.

But the prosecutor noted that even last year's data was record, "despite a sharp decline in the number of passengers" in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.

There were five such attacks in Manhattan in 2019 and six in 2018, Vance said.

“I am not prepared to provide an explanation for this staggering growth, but I hope that the increase in the number of passengers on the subway will serve as a deterrent,” Vance said.

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“And I really hope that the city and its leaders, as well as state leaders, will understand the connection between those who may be suffering from mental illness and the crimes that occur in our subways.

“We need to invest heavily in helping those people in our communities who do have mental illness, and I truly believe this is one way to protect New Yorkers and visitors,” he said.

A spokesman for the New York City Department of Transportation (MTA) said more police officers are needed to patrol the system and that the city needs to provide better resources for mental health assessments.

“The rise in these incidents underscores what we have been saying for some time now: the city needs to increase its staff by 1000 officers to ensure security,” said an MTA spokesman.

“It is equally important for the city to become more active and provide additional resources for mental assistance to those who need it,” he added.

Last month, NYPD deployed an additional 644 officers to the metro system across the city to reduce crime rates, including clashes that Commissioner Dermot Shi said are becoming "too common."

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Despite the alarming upsurge, NYPD statistics show that in 2021, metro crime will generally be on the same level.

According to figures from the NYPD transit bureau released at the MTA board meeting, 104 crimes were recorded on the metro in February, up from 114 in January and 118 in December.

But skeptical MTA leaders said they need to see more progress before they can feel confident about their safety.

“I’m always glad the numbers are going down, but you know, I’m always aware that one-off numbers do not reflect the whole situation,” said MTA interim president Sarah Feinberg. "I want all the numbers to fall constantly."

And MTA chairman Pat Foy noted that compared to last year, the total crime in the metro decreased by 62,5%, but the flow of passengers also decreased and amounted to 65,8%.