Transit thefts on fast track

Thefts in the city’s transit system have shot up nearly 90% so far this year, cops said Tuesday, the same day they announced busting an alleged serial subway pickpocket only to see him freed by a judge.

Grand larcenies on Big Apple subways and buses have jumped 88.9% — from 342 to 646 incidents — year to date compared to the same period in 2022, the statistics show.

Overall major transit crime — including rapes, robberies and felony assaults — increased 52%, mirroring data about the city’s general trend released Monday.

The figures come as police crowed on Twitter on Tuesday that they had busted accused serial pickpocket Dedrick Williams, 53, a day earlier for allegedly committing three grand larcenies in the transit system.

“Caught & arrested again!” the NYPD tweeted. “Yesterday, @NYPDTransit Public Safety officers arrested a known pickpocket recidivist. This is the man’s 11th Grand Larceny arrest this year alone. Our officers will remain resilient in addressing subway crimes.”

But while the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office recommended cash bail of $30,000 for Williams, a judge let him out on supervised release, officials said.

The suspect has a total of 20 arrests on his record since 2004, a police source said. The majority of the arrests were for crimes in transit, the source said.