At a Glance
- SEPTA recorded its lowest violent-crime total since 2015, down 6% from 2024.
- Homicides and rapes each fell 50%, while shootings dropped 33%.
- Robberies bucked the trend, rising 27%.
- Why it matters: Riders face fewer serious offenses as the agency boosts officer staffing and fare-evasion enforcement.
SEPTA’s 2025 performance report, released Thursday, shows serious crime across buses, trolleys, the Market-Frankford Line, Broad Street Line and Regional Rail has fallen to levels not seen in at least a decade, even as the agency grappled with train inspections, budget pressure and service disruptions.
Crime Down Across Every Major Category
Transit police tallied six percent fewer serious crimes in 2025 than the year before. The declines include:
- Homicides: 2 in 2025 vs. 4 in 2024 – a 50% reduction.
- Rapes: 50% drop, mirroring the homicide trend.
- Shootings: Down 33%.
- Burglaries: Fell 57%.
- Aggravated assaults: Off 1%.
Only robberies rose, climbing 27% over 2024.
Force Expansion Credited for Gains
The agency ended 2025 with 250 uniformed officers, its highest count in more than ten years. Another 17 cadets entered the police academy this month.
“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.”
Technology and infrastructure upgrades also played a role, according to General Manager Scott A. Sauer.
“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,” Sauer said. “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.”
Fare-Evasion Enforcement Intensifies
Officers issued 48% more fare-evasion citations in 2025 than the previous year. Quality-of-life infractions rose 12%.
Physical changes supported the push:
- 200 full-height fare gates installed at 14 stations.
- A new surface transportation unit patrols buses and trolleys lacking gate controls.
A Look Back at the Decade
SEPTA supplied a ten-year statistical snapshot showing steady contraction in serious offenses since the pandemic-era peak.
| Year | Notable Serious-Crime Trend |
|---|---|
| 2015 | Baseline for comparison |
| 2020 | Pandemic spike |
| 2024 | First post-pandemic dip |
| 2025 | Record low since 2015 |
The pattern held across all four largest transit modes, signaling system-wide improvement rather than isolated corridor gains.
What the Numbers Mean for Riders
Lower violent-crime totals suggest commuters encounter fewer life-threatening situations while using SEPTA services. The surge in robberies, however, indicates property-related threats remain elevated.
The agency’s full 2025 report is available online for block-by-block and month-by-month breakdowns.
Key Takeaways
- Violent crime on SEPTA has fallen every year since the pandemic peak, reaching its lowest rate since 2015.
- Staffing, technology and fare-enforcement are the three pillars behind the decline.
- Robberies remain the outlier, posting a 27% jump even as other categories fell.
- Riders can expect more visible officers and tighter fare controls as the agency tries to sustain the downward trend in 2026.
