SEPTA Violent Crime Declines Despite Recent Shootings

Twice in the past week, shootings hit SEPTA buses and injured four people, authorities said, raising questions about the security of the transit system and safety protocols. users.

These incidents come at a time when gun violence is declining in the city after three years of record gun violence. Although there have been stabbings, shootings and other violent attacks on SEPTA property, including on subway lobbies and trains, over the past year there have been fewer of shootings so far in 2024 than during the same period in 2023, consistent with citywide trends.

Through Oct. 10, SEPTA documented 13 incidents involving shootings, compared to 16 during the same period last year.

Here’s what we know about recent shootings and the state of crime on SEPTA.

What happened in the two shootings last week?

Three women were injured when a man shot at a G bus in West Philadelphia on Tuesday, police said.

Shortly after 4:30 p.m., at 57th and Catharine streets, four men, including the shooter, got off a G bus when the shooter, brandishing a black and silver pistol, fired at the bus and injured passengers, the police said. police.

A 56-year-old woman was shot in the lower back, a 29-year-old woman was shot in the right buttock and a 60-year-old woman was grazed on the right side of the head, police said. All three women were taken to Penn Presbyterian Medical Center and were listed in stable condition.

Police released images and a description of the shooter Wednesday and are asking the public for help identifying and finding him.

Police said the suspect was of medium build, with a light beard and shoulder-length dreadlocks. He was last seen wearing a black Under Armor zip-up jacket over a white T-shirt, black pants, gray sneakers and a blue surgical mask, police said.

The second shooting occurred shortly after 6:15 p.m. on Oct. 4, when police said a 17-year-old was seriously injured on a bus on Allegheny Avenue near Third Street. The teen was taken in a private vehicle to Temple University Hospital, where he was listed in critical but stable condition with multiple gunshot wounds, police said.

The suspected shooter, described as a man wearing all black clothing, got off the bus and fled in a silver Kia, which was located and pursued by police until it crashed on Fifth Street and Glenwood Avenue, police said. One person in the Kia fled the car and was apprehended, but another person remains at large, police said.

Investigators said an altercation between several men aboard the bus likely sparked the shooting near Allegheny Avenue and Fifth Street. The bus had several bullet holes and spent shell casings were found on the highway in the 300 block of West Allegheny Avenue, police said.

Is violent crime increasing on SEPTA?

Despite recent shootings, violent crime in SEPTA has decreased compared to last year, according to SEPTA data. Serious crimes fell 37% between the start of the year and June 30 compared to the same period in 2023, the data shows.

Through Oct. 10, SEPTA recorded 13 incidents involving shootings, compared to 16 during the same period last year.

Violent crime, including aggravated assault and robbery, declined 47% through June 30, the data shows. Aggravated assaults fell from 71 to 50 and robberies from 146 to 63, the data showed.

The transit agency said it has made rider safety a priority and added transit officers to its patrols to make buses safer and increased penalties for non-violent crimes involving quality of life.

Why is SEPTA cracking down on quality of life crimes?

Between 2019 and 2022, SEPTA saw a drastic increase in quality of life crimes, which include offenses such as smoking and urinating in public, according to SEPTA data.

Anti-social behavior on public transport has increased as a result of the pandemic, with many commuters complaining of a feeling of disorder and an unsafe environment. In response, SEPTA announced it would step up enforcement against littering, public urination, smoking and other violations that diminish the SEPTA rider experience.

Transit Police officers now issue fines of up to $100 for violations of the City of Philadelphia’s SEPTA vehicle and property code, penalties supported by the courts. Previously, SEPTA officers handed out $25 “administrative enforcement notices” based on the agency’s rules of conduct, fines that were rarely paid and did little to deter these violations.

Starting July 1, paper copies of misconduct tickets – officially notices of code violations – must be sent to the city’s Office of Administrative Review (OAR). Violators can pay the fine or request a hearing to contest the charge within 10 days.

From there, additional fines can be added for non-payment, and the case can be sent to Municipal Court, with a maximum fine of $300, plus court costs.

What is SEPTA doing to make public transportation safer?

In addition to focusing on quality-of-life crimes, SEPTA is increasing bus patrols by transit officers this year, SEPTA spokesman Andrew Busch said.

“Our officers initiated new bus patrols this year in an effort to show a greater police presence on buses,” Busch said in an email. “Officers circulate while buses are in service, both on regular patrols and on buses where problems have been reported or where we have numerous cases of fare evasion. »

SEPTA’s transit police staff now numbers 230 officers, Busch said, higher than the number before the pandemic.