SEPTA Crime Falls as Fare-Evasion Citations Surge 74% in 2025

Philadelphia’s Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority reported a further decline in serious offenses across its bus, rail and trolley network, citing new mid-year data that cover the first half of 2025. The figures show one homicide during the period, down from three recorded in the second quarter of 2023, while robberies fell to 28 in the second quarter from 55 in the first. Transit police handled 67 aggravated-assault cases over the six months, roughly half the level seen two years earlier. Police Chief Chuck Lawson attributed the drop to more focused deployment and an aggressive push against fare evasion and other so-called quality-of-ride violations. Officers issued 4,366 citations for fare jumping between January and June, a 74% increase from the same span of 2024. Overall enforcement of smoking, marijuana use and similar infractions rose 27%, and customer reports of those problems through the SEPTA Transit Watch app fell. SEPTA plans to extend full-length fare gates—credited with cutting fare evasion by 20% at the 69th Street Transportation Center—to nine more stations and will maintain heightened patrols even as it warns of a looming budget gap that could force service reductions. General Manager Scott Sauer said the agency remains committed to sustaining the safety gains despite its fiscal challenges.