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7/17/2025
Rail News: Security
Crime on SEPTA plummets in 2025's first half, report says

Serious crimes on the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority's (SEPTA) network have continued to drop in most categories while enforcement of fare evasion, smoking and other quality-of-ride offenses has increased significantly in the first half of 2025, the agency reported yesterday.
The trends follow a "record-setting" annual crime reduction of 33% last year, SEPTA officials said in an press release. SEPTA Transit Police have continued to implement new data-driven deployment strategies that are helping keep serious crime rates low, with reductions in seven of eight categories through June 30 of this year, they said.
Serious crimes are defined in the report as murder, rape, robbery, aggravated assault, burglary, motor vehicle theft, other types of theft and arson. The SEPTA crime report can be read here.
In addition to progress on serious crimes, the focus on fare evasion and quality-of-ride offenses by Transit Police is also showing significant progress. Overall enforcement of these incidents increased by 27% compared to the first quarter of 2024. For the first half of 2025, SEPTA Transit Police issued 4,366 citations for fare evasion, a 74% increase over the same six months in 2024.
In addition, 1,189 tickets were issued for smoking – a 6% increase – and 253 for marijuana use, up 19%. Meanwhile, reports by customers to the SEPTA Transit Watch App over fare evasion declined 46.7%, and reports of smoking declined 13.6%.
For deterrence, police will continue to enhance visible patrols and use new technology, including full-length fare gates that will soon begin expanding to nine additional stations.
Contact Progressive Railroading editorial staff.