Transit workers face surge in violence despite national crime decline in US

In cities across the United States, transit workers who ensure the smooth operation of subways and buses are facing a rising tide of violence that has defied the broader downward trend in national crime rates.

In a softly illuminated room adorned with fairy lights and ivy, transit workers quietly enter and settle onto inflated cots.

Gentle piano melodies fill the air as a teacher moves among them, tending to their comfort with heated blankets and soothing eye masks, Caliber.Az reports citing the foreign media.

“Breathe in deeply,” she instructs. “Imagine a balloon filling with revitalizing energy. Feel your spine relaxing into softness.”

Lalita Dunbar, the teacher, gracefully spritzes a mist infused with lavender and lemon as she moves around the tranquil space.

“At the sound of the chime,” she gently prompts, “take a deep breath in.”

The relaxation class, hosted at a union hall for New York City transit employees, has become a crucial outlet for transportation workers nationwide grappling with heightened fears and anxiety amidst a surge in violent crime on subways and buses. Concern has intensified following a string of particularly brutal assaults in recent months targeting bus drivers, subway operators, and station agents.

Incidents of crime against transit workers have been on the rise since the onset of the pandemic in 2020, when millions of Americans abruptly shunned subways and buses due to COVID-19 fears. This mass avoidance left transit workers feeling increasingly isolated and more susceptible to attacks.

Despite the return of many travelers to subways and buses, incidents of violent assaults on transit systems have remained stubbornly high. This trend stands out against a backdrop of declining overall violent crime rates across the United States in recent years.

Nationally, the incidence of reported major assaults targeting transit workers hit a 15-year peak in 2023, marking a 47 per cent increase from 2020, according to an analysis of Federal Transit Administration data by the Associated Press. Over the span from 2011 to 2023, the rate of assaults has more than quadrupled.

In contrast, FBI data reveals that overall violent crime rates in the United States have consistently decreased every year since 2020.