Arrests of performers have more than quadrupled this year, to 203 through early this month, compared with 48 over the same period last year.

The attention is part of a broader policing strategy in which officers, who often act on complaints from the public, place an emphasis on low-level offenses with a goal of rooting out more serious crime. Long championed by the police commissioner, William J. Bratton, the approach has attracted increased scrutiny this month after a series of high-profile police encounters across the city.

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In recent days, the police have engaged in a widely publicized clash with the costumed characters of Times Square, including a Spider-Man who punched an officer in the face on Saturday. Mr. Bratton pointed to “something as basic as dealing with the Elmo craze or house parties” as small signs of disorder.

Once emblematic of urban disorder, the subways have been a focus of renewed efforts, drawing significant resources for what Deputy Inspector Edward O’Brien called “a cat-and-mouse game.”