A series of violent crimes in the New York City subways in December garnered a storm of online coverage and put commuters in the city on edge. Fordham’s commuter student population reacted to the events.
While the NYPD reported that crime on the subway declined overall in 2024, murders increased from five in 2023 to 10 in 2024. Violent incidents on the subway in 2024 included a shocking fatal fire attack in December and the shooting of four riders by police in September.
Jasmina Abdullaeba, Fordham College at Lincoln Center (FCLC) ’27 and secretary of the Commuting Students Association (CSA), said she felt on edge in the subway.
“You have to look out for who you sit next to,” Abdullaeba said. “If you don’t feel like you’re safe around that area, you would want to move around, but you also have to care about what you wear because you don’t want to get the looks or a lot of attention on yourself.”
“You have to keep your head on a swivel. I’m wearing my headphones less when I’m out. I’m constantly looking around and paying attention.” Gabriella Agarita, FCLC ’27
Gabriella Agarita, FCLC ’27 and vice president of CSA, said that staying aware of your surroundings while taking public transportation is crucial.
“You have to keep your head on a swivel,” Agarita said. “I’m wearing my headphones less when I’m out. I’m constantly looking around and paying attention. You have to be careful not to fall asleep on the train.”
Agarita’s parents also share the same concerns for her safety.
“I get more and more lectures from my parents about being safe, so it’s hard to feel safe leaving and also having my parents worry about me constantly.”
Agarita said CSA frequently receives complaints about their late meeting times.
“We try to make sure we hold our events earlier so people can get home earlier. But when it comes to being out late, that’s where the most concern comes because the later it gets, the less people that are on the trains, and we feel like there’s less witnesses around and we feel more unsafe,” Agarita said.
Fordham Public Safety shared similar concerns about commuter students using public transport. John O’Sullivan, public safety supervisor, offered advice to students who take the subway.
“You always have to know your surroundings. You always have to be cognizant, you can’t be buried in your phone. That’s not just in the subway, that’s on the street level as well, but there have been incidents of people being pushed into the tracks,” O’Sullivan said.
O’Sullivan wrote about a previous incident that was reported to him on a late weekend night.
“The students had mistakenly got on a Brooklyn-bound train. Once they realized their mistake, they got off at the next stop in Brooklyn and then got on a Manhattan-bound train. On that train, they were harassed by an emotionally disturbed male who got in their faces. The students gave him the food that they had and he then sat down and ate it. The students then fled that train and got on another train,” O’Sullivan wrote.
He suggested “safety in numbers” and picking carts with intention, suggesting carts with conductors.
“If I was riding the train, if it was my daughter, I’d say either ride in the middle car or the most crowded car, or the lead car. So let’s say if something is going on, they can notify the MTA personnel,” O’Sullivan said.
Fordham’s students are faced with navigating the realities of using public transportation while also grappling with public safety challenges. Although staying informed, cautious and observant can help reduce the risk of being attacked, the question of larger organizations’ initiative to improve safety still remains.
Students reporting a public safety incident can contact Public Safety at 718-817-2222. Both campuses have security personnel on-campus 24 hours a day. There are also multiple other resources available to respond to incidents on campus.