SEPTA police chief says safety is improving on system amid fare evasion crackdown
SEPTA police's mid-year crime report for 2025 revealed significant increases in enforcement for fare evasion and quality-of-ride offenses compared to the first quarter of 2024.
The report says that the overall enforcement of these kinds of incidents has increased by 27%. Within the first half of 2025, SEPTA police have issued 4,366 citations for fare evasion – a 74% increase from the first half of 2024. SEPTA police have also issued 1,189 tickets for smoking – a 6% increase; and 253 tickets for marijuana use – a 19% increase.
According to SEPTA, reports filed by customers through the SEPTA Transit Watch App related to fare evasion and smoking have also declined.
SEPTA Police Chief Chuck Lawson said combating fare evasion directly impacts the number of crimes committed within the transit system.
"When we increase our enforcement of fare evasion, we consistently see lower rates of crime and disorder on the system," Lawson said. "We are committed to a three-pronged approach to combating fare evasion through deterrence, enforcement and education."
Tickets for fare evasion can be as high as $300, and court fees can make the cost of jumping the turnstiles even higher, Lawson said.
"We've been at it now for more than a year – this level of enforcement. And we are seeing that not impact just the quality of life issues on SEPTA, but serious crime as all of that starts trending in a positive direction," Lawson said.
Serious crimes are continuously dropping in most categories, according to the report. SEPTA police are continuing to "implement new data-driven deployment strategies," which is helping keep serious crimes low with reductions in seven out of eight categories within the first six months of 2025.
"Despite an imminent fiscal crisis that could result in massive service cuts, we will continue to support the critical work that our police force does to ensure SEPTA is safe and secure for customers and employees," SEPTA General Manager Scott Sauer said.
SEPTA said it will soon bring full-length fare gates to nine more SEPTA stations. The original full-length gates at 69th Street Transportation Center have reduced fare evasion by 20%, according to the report.
Lawson said he hopes riders feel safer than they did in the years just after the COVID-19 pandemic.
"If you haven't used SEPTA in the last three years, come back and use SEPTA. You're going to see a completely different state of cleanliness, security and safety on the system," Lawson said. "The numbers prove that out."
