Iryna Zarutska’s senseless murder on a Charlotte, North Carolina, light-rail train has reignited debate over bail reform and criminal recidivism. This is a worthwhile debate for New York City, too. Many of what Charlotte’s mayor calls “tragic failures that contributed to Zarutska’s murder also afflict Gotham’s transit system. And the only way to address the problem is more aggressive enforcement of basic subway rules, including prosecuting farebeating.
New Yorkers remain fearful of using public transit, owing to a series of violent crimes by repeat offenders, including the gruesome murder by arson of a woman in the Coney Island subway station last December. Comprehensive data analysis published by Vital City in January 2025 shows that New Yorkers have cause for concern. Subway assaults have tripled since 2009; violent-crime recidivism has doubled since 2019; 16.8 percent of violent subway offenders had prior arrests for similar crimes during the prior six years; and 24.7 percent of those same violent subway offenders had prior arrests for farebeating in the past six years.
Finally, a reason to check your email.…