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Teenagers Seen As Culprits In Subway Crime Wave


By

John Del Signore

Published Jan 24, 2011

Modified Jan 24, 2011


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Spider-Man succumbs to the subway crime wave.

 

Rachel Pincus's Flickr


By

John Del Signore

Published Jan 24, 2011

Modified Jan 24, 2011


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Crime is rising underground, according to the latest NYPD crime stats obtained by amNY. Grand larcenies have increased 7.7% since 2009, and combined with robberies, these crimes make up for 91 percent of subway crime. MTA Board member Andrew Albert attributes the crime wave to fewer "eyes and ears in the system and many more things to take as more gadgets are displayed all over the place." But NYPD spokesman Paul Browne has a different theory, and, as in all things, the teenagers are to blame.

Browne insists that most of the subway crime is happening among teens after school, and we believe him. Have you ever tried taking the subway in the mid-afternoon when the schools let out? Or, put another way, do you have a death wish? "Despite the spike in mainly teen-on-teen crime, there were fewer than six crimes per day in the subway system last year compared to 50 per day in 1990," Browne tells amNY. "Deployments are designed to address after-school ridership when most teen on teen crime occurs." Indeed, more troops must be deployed to this war zone at once—ideally Special Forces.

Tagged

subway crime

teenagers


John Del Signore

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Originally from the Albany area, John Del Signore has called NYC home since 1995. In addition to his thousands of meticulously-crafted bespoke blog posts for Gothamist, his writing has also been published in The Awl, Deadspin, The Nervous Breakdown, and performed at The Brick Theater in Brooklyn.

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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations


Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations


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