Full force: NYPD sends police officers to Central Park to combat rising crime

The New York Police Department announced Wednesday that it would deploy more resources to Central Park to help curb rising crime in the city's major green space.

According to the latest crime statistics, several serious crimes are on the rise in the famous park. Robberies have reportedly increased by a whopping 200%, with 30 cases reported so far this year, compared to just 10 in 2023 – and aggravated assaults have increased by 42%.

Hoping to stem the surge, NYPD Patrol Chief John Chell said on August 14 that additional officers would be sent to the park and arranged around a mobile command center to Central Park District's efforts.

“We will be deploying numerous units over the course of the days and weeks until we resolve this issue,” said Police Chief Chell. “We cannot cover every single area of ​​the city, but by doing what we do tonight, together we will prevent his robberies and make some arrests.”

According to Chell, the mobile substation, located in the parking area at Columbus Circle, will serve as the base of operations for the increased police presence. More than 100 additional officers will report to the mobile base for patrol duty daily, increasing police presence and response. The additional police resources will include foot patrols, officers on bicycles and mounted members of the Mounted Unit.

“No secrets are kept here. Crime in this park has increased, especially the number of robberies,” said Police Chief Chell. “Robberies are common here.”

Chell claimed that some of the robberies were suspected to have been committed by migrants, pointing out that police had arrested two youths that morning – an 11-year-old migrant boy and his 17-year-old companion – for a series of thefts.

The arrest came one day after an 82-year-old woman was attacked near the Central Park Tennis Center (1 West 96 Street, corner of Central Park West) at around 10:17 p.m. on August 13. A man police described as a jogger pushed the senior citizen to the ground, police said, injuring her nose, elbows and knees. She was treated for her injuries by EMS at the Central Park Precinct.

Despite reported increases in crime, park visitors tell amNewYork Metro that their experiences have been positive.

Belinda Lemay, 56, is a tourist from Canada and says she has been cycling through the park every day for a week and has enjoyed the time.

“I feel like it's a safe park and I enjoyed my time,” Lemay said. “I love seeing people out there having fun.”

In addition to more patrol officers, the police also plan to soon deploy eyes in the sky in the form of drones so that officers can get to the scene more quickly.