Central Park, one of the Big Apple's most iconic sites and a favorite destination for millions of tourists, has been the center of several smartphone grabs and other robberies so far this year, igniting protests. New York City Police Department (NYPD) alarms.
Starting this week, the Uniformed will have more presence in the New York vegetable lung. Intelligence officers are connecting the dots to arrest the criminals who have carried out the criminal acts, which in some cases have been violent.
iPhones, Max headphones and other electronic devices appear to be the target of people who commit these crimes, police chiefs noted.
“We are using all available resources to address this trend. We have increased surveillance with cameras. We are also using our auxiliaries on weekends to address these threats. Whoever thinks about disturbing our visitors should think about it. He will be captured,” said Ruel Stephenson, commander in chief of the NYPD in Manhattan North.
A deployment is already confirmed in the four police districts that the park includes. Officers have been assigned on foot and in mobile units. All perimeter accesses are covered.
Uniformed leaders say they have recorded a 350% increase in reported robberies so far in 2023, compared to the same period last year.
Most of these incidents occur at night.
In the first four months of this year, 18 thefts have been reported in the park, compared to four in the same period last year.
Grand thefts, meaning when someone snatches a phone from your hand without causing injury or takes property left at a bank, also increased. Already 12 situations of this type have been reported at police stations in 2024, compared to eight last year.
No serious injuries have been reported, but last week three incidents were recorded in just 27 hours.
