Transit Crime Slows Nation’s Return to Pre-Pandemic Life
Even as they try to lure people back to city centers and stimulate their financial recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, leaders are confronting transit crime rates that have risen over pre-pandemic levels in New York City, the San Francisco Bay Area, Philadelphia and Los Angeles,
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Even as they try to lure people back to city centers and stimulate their financial recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, leaders are confronting transit crime rates that have risen over pre-pandemic levels in New York City, the San Francisco Bay Area, Philadelphia and Los Angeles, reports the New York Times. Part of the rising worry about crime, experts said, may reflect changing perceptions of commuters, many of whom at least paused their usual trips on buses and trains during the pandemic—a circumstance that has only been exacerbated by the recent rollback of mask rules on public transit.
In Los Angeles, the crime rate on the county’s metro system has increased over the course of the pandemic, adding fuel to long-burning debates on policing, homelessness and mental health. Meanwhile, public transit workers say that harassment — physical assault, threats and objects thrown at them — remains prevalent despite drops in ridership.
