Crime Continues to Drop on Philly, San Francisco Transit Systems

Two of the nation’s largest public transit systems saw decreases in crime during the first quarter of 2025. According to a report by Brandon Lewis in Mass Transit, the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) and the San Francisco region’s Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) both boosted security efforts, leading to significant drops in crime in 2024.

In Philadelphia, SEPTA officials report a 28 percent drop in total crime compared to the three-year average preceding 2024. The agency attributes the decline to more transit police officers and increased fare evasion enforcement. “SEPTA has hired 100 additional staff in the past year, and the authority now has more than 700 cleaners and maintenance personnel deployed strategically to keep stations and vehicles cleaner and respond to issues as they arise.”

BART saw an overall decline in crime of 17 percent in 2024. In the first quarter of this year, violent crime dropped by a further 23 percent. “BART says the implementation of BART’s Safe and Clean Plan has been at the forefront of putting rider safety first. The plan includes boosting visible train patrols, installing next generation fare gates, right-sizing trains to create safer spaces, improving station lighting and other rider-focused initiatives.” Both agencies argue that preventing fare evasion also deters other types of crime.