Under Democratic Mayor de Blasio’s tutelage, a crime wave has settled over Manhattan’s iconic green space. Beleaguered by muggers and other hoodlums, Central Parks is no longer the safe haven in the middle of Manhattan that it once was.
With no substantive ideas or plans to curb the sudden onset of violence, Central Park’s degeneration seems be an indefinite, yet completely preventable misfortune.
The New York Post has chronicled the increase of criminal activity in NYC’s beloved park where muggings have doubled from this time last year.
Though felony assaults are down in the park this year, misdemeanor assaults are up.There were 15 misdemeanor assaults between Jan. 1 and July 26 of this year, as opposed to 11 for the same period last year.And narcotics arrests in the park have more than doubled this year.There were 23 drug busts between Jan. 1 and July 26 of this year, as opposed to 10 for the same period last year.Still, the number of criminal summonses has taken a nose dive, Perhaps pointing to more lax enforcement if such quality of life offenses as loitering, disorderly conduct, or public drinking and urinating.Between Jan. 1 and July 26, parks cops wrote 2,100 summonses.But during the same months of last year, they wrote 3,026 summonses.
July saw an uptick in reported muggings. One thief made off with a purse full of dog treats while another punched a woman in the face in order to steal $1. A man was mugged at knife point. In a separate incident, an elderly man was held up and robbed by a gun wielding criminal.
It took a brutal attack late Thursday night for the media to call the rash of muggings what it is — a crime wave. Thursday, a apparent homeless man choked until he blacked out. Once passed out, the choking mugger robbed the man and took off.
CBS New York reported:
Police are searching for a suspect in connection with a robbery in Central Park late Thursday night.The victim in this latest attack is a 53-year-old man.Police said he was walking through the Ramble area of the park by West Drive and the 79th Street Transverse around 10 p.m. when the suspect approached him, said he was hungry and asked for money.When the victim said no, the suspect choked him until he passed out, CBS2’s Ilana Gold reported.When the victim woke up 20 to 30 minutes later, his wallet and backpack with cash, keys, gift cards and jewelry were gone, police said.The victim went to the hospital the following day to get checked out.
So where is law enforcement in all of this?
NYC’s finest have said repeatedly that “Stop and Frisk” is essential in keeping violent crime at bay. They’re also requesting more boots on the ground.
Mayor de Blasio disagrees. In June, de Blasio instructed cops to reduce the use of “Stop and Frisk” and said New Yorkers had no reason to worry about crime.
Mayor Bill de Blasio disagrees with the police union and is insisting the NYPD can fight crime without more “Stop and frisks”.”New York City continues to be an extraordinarily safe city, the safest big city in America, that is clear,” Mayor de Blasio said.The mayor late Tuesday said New Yorkers have no reason to worry about crime.But video from Sunday in Bedford-Stuyvesant tells another story, although overall crime is down 6.5%, but violent crime is way up.Last year by the end of May there were 113 murders.This year there have been 135, an almost 20% jump.Also, there were 467 shooting victims last year.This year there have been 510, a 9% increase.”The perps on the street are getting bolder because they’re not enough of us and they’re not being stopped so I’m not surprised that the shootings are rising,” said Pat Lynch, PBA President.Tuesday Lynch blasted the mayor, saying the city needs to hire more cops and let them do their jobs.He faults the reform of “Stop and Frisk” and new rules on cops as key components for the uptick in crime.”Now without enough cops, the negative police atmosphere, where every interaction turns into a confrontation, confrontation turns into violence for everyone, and that’s what’s happening,” Lynch said.
[Featured Image Courtesy of Wikimedia Images]
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