Robberies surge 5.6 percent in NYC in last month with a 350 percent increase in Central Park: ‘Free for all’
NY Post
Robberies in New York City are surging, police data show.
While most major crimes are down, including shootings and murders, robberies shot up 5.6% so far in 2024 over the same period in 2023 — to 5,522 from 5,228 as of May 5.
Joseph Giacalone, a retired NYPD sergeant and adjunct professor at John Jay College of Criminal Justice, pointed out that robberies have a low arrest rate — with only about 25% of cases solved because victims typically don’t know their attackers.
“Being up in robberies shouldn’t be a big surprise to anyone who knows what’s actually going on,” he said. “Robbery is a crime where most people can’t identify their attacker and then district attorneys are releasing these people. It becomes a free for all.”
April saw a spate of robberies in Central Park, three in just 27 hours, contributing to a 350% increase there — from 4 to 18 as of May 5, the most recent data available show.
Robberies surged by nearly 50% in the NYPD’s tourist-heavy Midtown North Precinct, to 67 from 45 so far year-to-date.
