Metro Philadelphia

Crime across SEPTA continues to decline in early 2026, with serious offenses falling 30% compared to the same period last year, according to a quarterly report released Tuesday.

On the Market-Frankford Line, serious crime dropped 42%, SEPTA officials said. Overall, serious crime on the system is now at its lowest level since at least 2015.

The report showed double-digit decreases in five of eight major crime categories, including aggravated assaults and robberies. Officials attributed the trend to increased police presence, adding SEPTA currently has its largest uniformed Transit Police force in more than a decade. 

“Since peaking during the pandemic, crime across the system has consistently declined,” said SEPTA  General Manager Scott Sauer. “This progress is the result of a comprehensive approach that combines  increased staffing, targeted enforcement, investments in modern technology, and improvements to  station and vehicle infrastructure.” 

Transit Police are continuing to prioritize fare evasion by expanding targeted enforcement details at stations. 

SEPTA has begun installing full-height fare gates, designed to deter fare evasion more effectively than traditional turnstiles. The first phase of the project — covering 10 stations — was completed earlier this month. The agency’s proposed fiscal year 2027 budget includes funding to expand the gates to 13 additional stations.

Officials said those combined measures have contributed to a 10% reduction in fare evasion so far this year.

“We are building on that progress in 2026 and pursuing additional strategies to strengthen fare compliance, including modifications to legacy turnstiles,” said SEPTA Transit Police Chief Charles Lawson.  “We are also continuing to focus and invest resources on recruiting and retaining Transit Police Officers.” 

Six experienced officers joined the force this month, with 16 additional cadets expected to graduate from the police academy in June, according to SEPTA.

The full first-quarter 2026 Transit Police report is available on SEPTA’s website.

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Keywords

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