The San Diego Metropolitan Transit System has seen a 24% drop in crime throughout its transit system during the first eight months of this year, the agency announced Wednesday.
MTS officials said that between January and August of 2025, 969 crimes were reported on MTS services, which was 76% of the 1,274 crimes reported during the same time period last year.
The findings are part of a report that is slated to go before the MTS Public Safety Committee on Thursday. The full report can be viewed on the agency's website.
"Taking a comprehensive look at passenger safety over the past several years has been our top priority, and these results show the impact of our ongoing efforts to make MTS a secure and welcoming transit system for all riders," MTS Board Chair Pro Tem and San Diego County Supervisor Monica Montgomery Steppe said in a statement. "We're committed to building on this progress by working closely with MTS staff and the community to ensure all riders feel secure and supported on our buses and trolleys."
MTS officials credited the crime decrease to bolstered security efforts initiated two years ago following a rider survey that indicated travelers sought a larger security presence. Those efforts included increasing the number of security officers and code compliance inspectors, as well as adding security outposts to busy transit centers and a more stringent fare enforcement policy.
"We've been intentional with our improvements on a lot of fronts, and the results are beginning to show," MTS CEO Sharon Cooney said in a statement. "We have been listening to our riders for a few years now through customer feedback, surveys and research that the top priority for riders is feeling safe while using the system. Ridership grew 7% last year and a big factor in that can be attributed to this reduction in crime."