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NYPD Blames Crime Spike in Parks on Inattentive Frolickers
By
Jaya Saxena
Published Mar 8, 2011
Modified Mar 8, 2011
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By
Jaya Saxena
Published Mar 8, 2011
Modified Mar 8, 2011
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According to the NYPD, crime in city parks jumped 25% last year. And yes, there were a few rapes, but police say most of the crime happens because happy-go-lucky parkgoers forget that they need to watch their stuff. NYPD spokesman Paul Browne told the Post, "The single largest crime category typically involved larcenies in which often-unattended property is stolen, such as when someone playing softball leaves property on a nearby blanket and it's lifted while he or she is engaged in the game...If there's a credit card with the unattended property, it's automatically recorded as a grand larceny." [Updated with more info from the NYPD]
In Central Park, "major incidents" reportedly rose 50%, though Crotona Park had the biggest increase (414%!) with 36 crimes, including 25 robberies, last year. And though you really should remember to watch your stuff, Councilman Peter Vallone blamed the crime spike on the decrease in cops: "Crime is down tremendously from 20 years ago, but an increase of almost 25 percent in one year is very alarming. This is a result of having fewer police." UpdateHowever, Browne told us:
While any crime increase concerns us, Central Park remains the safest precinct in the city. Even with 35 million visitors annually, Central Park has the lowest number of crimes compared to any other precinct. The same holds true for parks generally - millions of visitors with relatively low crime...We patrol parks year-round but police presence is increased in warmer weather and for large events, which is when unattended property is more likely to be stolen. Best advice is, if possible, don’t leave valuables unattended.
Currently, crime is down almost 4% from last year, though cases of rape are up 34.3% [pdf]. As of last week there were 10 petit larcenies in the Central Park precinct this year [pdf], compared to just one at this time last year.
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crime in parks
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Jaya Saxena
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