Data shows that police are arresting more people for subway surfing this year amid a crackdown by the NYPD and the MTA’s ubiquitous awareness campaign.
The NYPD told amNewYork Metro that it has arrested 163 people for subway surfing so far in 2024, a 22% jump from the 138 cuffed in all of 2023.
The numbers in 2023 themselves were a huge jump from 2022; that September, cops had apprehended 200% more people for subway surfing — which is extremely dangerous and often fatal — compared to the same period the year prior.
The trend of climbing on top of a moving subway train has exploded in popularity in recent years. Teens have posted videos of the activity on social media like TikTok, Snapchat, and Instagram, showcasing the cheap thrills for millions to see.
Last year, the MTA launched a new campaign to deter youth from dabbling in the hazardous endeavor. “Ride Inside, Stay Alive” features public address announcements and station advertisements designed and delivered by teens themselves in a bid to speak directly to would-be surfers as peers.
Simultaneously, the transit agency has beseeched big social media companies to take down any subway surfing content that gets uploaded to their platforms. Meanwhile, the NYPD has beefed up its enforcement by deploying to hotspots popular with surfers — particularly along the 7 and J lines, which have long elevated stretches in the outer boroughs.
In fact, the MTA contends the increase in arrests is because of the bump in enforcement, not because more people are surfing. So far this year, 5 people have died as a result of subway surfing, compared to 6 in 2023.
“In addition to the education campaign that includes teen-to-teen subway announcements about the dangers of riding outside trains, the NYPD deployed advanced technology and dramatically increased enforcement, helping reduce fatalities vs. the same period last year,” said MTA spokesperson Laura Cala-Rauch.
