Subway crime is on the rise, and police officials are pointing fingers at the usual suspects: kids and iPods. As Metro’s Carly Baldwin reported today, felony crimes underground are up by around five percent through October 2010 over last year. So far, police have received 1117 grand larceny reports, an increase of 66 over last year. “Grand larcenies still seem to be our No. 1 concern,” Raymond Diaz, head of the NYPD Transit Bureau chief, said. “The snatching of electronic devices seems to be our biggest concern with crime.”
This isn’t the first time this year we’ve heard of electronic devices being targeted. In early October, I accused straphangers of riding obliviously. We’ve grown so accustomed to a safe environment underground that we forget we’re still among strangers in the subway. As expensive electronics appear, those with less-than-pure motives strike.
Interestingly, police say crime is highest before 8 p.m. and that 15 percent of all subway crimes are perpetrated by school kids who, as we know, ride for free. Even as the number of crimes underground climbs a bit from near-record lows, it’s worth remembering that the incident levels are still very low, and it’s tough to say if the decreasing number of station agents has led to a truly less safe system or just the perception of one.
4 comments
But are the kids the largest group?
Yeah, 15% of crime is committed by youth, but I think around 25% of New York City is under 18, so… not sure why we’re pointing out the percentage of crime committed by youth here.
It’s somewhat of a catch 22. Crime is so low now and people who have not experienced the bad old days just use little sense when out in public. I saw someone counted a wad of cash on a subway train recently. I mean, c’mon. If that doesn’t say, “Please rob me”, I don’t know what does.
Folks, this is still a big city and proper caution is in order.
[…] of the key drivers behind the increase in grand larcenies, as the police noted in December, is the proliferation of smart phones. The New York Penal Code defines a grand larceny as the theft […]