PHILADELPHIA (January 15, 2026) – As SEPTA continues to build on its efforts to enhance safety and security on the system, SEPTA Transit Police reported a 6% reduction in serious crimes in 2025 compared to 2024, including a 33% reduction in gun violence. In addition, Transit Police made strides with stepped-up enforcement of fare evasion and quality of ride offenses.
According to the new quarterly data released today, there were reductions in seven of the eight serious crime categories, including aggravated assaults and thefts. Serious crime dropped across SEPTA’s four largest modes, including the Market-Frankford Line [L], Broad Street Line [B], Bus, and Regional Rail.
Serious crime reached its lowest level since at least 2015, and 2025 marks the second straight year in which totals fell below pre-pandemic levels.
“While 2025 was one of the most challenging years in SEPTA’s history, we stayed focused on delivering improvements to the system, especially when it comes to safety,” said SEPTA General Manager Scott A. Sauer. “Since its peak during the pandemic, crime has continued to decline year after year, thanks to the expansion of the Transit Police force, technology and infrastructure improvements, and other safety and security initiatives.”
Transit Police are continuing to prioritize fare evasion with enforcement up by 48% compared to the previous year, while quality of life enforcement increased by 12%.
To stop fare evasion before it starts, SEPTA is on track to install more than 200 full-height fare gates at 14 stations by this summer. SEPTA also has a Surface Transportation Unit dedicated to enforcing fare compliance on buses and trolleys, where entry is not controlled by fare gates.
“With 250 uniformed officers, our Transit Police staffing is at its highest level in over a decade, and another 17 cadets started police academy earlier this month,” said SEPTA Transit Police Chief Charles Lawson. “Our customers see officers as soon as they enter the system, and that increased police presence helps deter people from committing crimes.”
Read the full Fourth Quarter 2025 Report (PDF).
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