NYPD increases patrols in Central Park amid spike in robberies, crime
MANHATTAN (WABC) -- It was quiet overnight in Central Park, likely a result of the increase in police presence after a string of crimes against parkgoers.
Those most recent robberies were allegedly committed by children. Police say the youngsters are living in migrant shelters.
On Thursday, police released new surveillance images of two suspects involved in one of the robbery incidents. The suspects robbed two men in their 20s sitting on a park bench at West 62nd Street and West Drive on Tuesday around 10:45 p.m.
The two male suspects are believed to be 16 or 17.
The first suspect is described as having a slim build, last seen wearing a black tank top, ripped jeans, white sneakers, and a red and white baseball cap. The second suspect is described as having a slim build, last seen wearing a black t-shirt, black ripped jeans, dark colored crocs, and a black baseball cap.
Something needed to be done to put a stop to the robberies, so the NYPD stepped up patrols.
Police on scooters, horseback, and bicycles moved into Central Park starting Wednesday afternoon.
Scores of police on foot held roll call outside Central Park.
Surveillance video showed a group of children, all believed to be living in migrant shelters in the city, as they surrounded a tourist on a park bench and robbed him of his wallet early Tuesday.
Police say the suspect is just 11 years old. He was seen on video using a stolen credit card at a fast-food restaurant.
That card was stolen in one of the Central Park robberies.
Authorities also have a video of him checking in at a migrant shelter.
Two of the three young suspects arrested in a robbery in Grand Army Plaza in Central Park early Tuesday are residing in city-run migrant shelters, one of them at the Row Hotel.
Police put up posters with some of the juveniles' pictures on them. No one has been hurt yet during the robberies, but police are taking the crime surge in the park seriously.
"Groups of anywhere eight to 12 young males approaching victims in the park, robbing them by force, of whatever they can take, air pods, jewelry," said Assistant Chief Jason Savino, NYPD Detectives Bureau.
The juveniles have been spotted staying mostly in the southern part of the park, with recent robberies being committed below 65th Street.
"Southern part of the park, we see a lot of robberies, group robberies, young kids, mugging people or taking their property, we believe these are young migrants who are committing these robberies," NYPD Chief of Patrol John Chell said Wednesday on Mornings @ 10.
Most of the victims have been tourists.
NYPD officials are preparing to deploy drones in Central Park by the end of the month. The drones will respond to incidents in less than one minute, and track suspects until police officers arrive on the ground.
Until then, 40 extra police officers will be deployed into Central Park every night after 7 p.m., targeting the hours when the majority of the muggings are occurring.
Chief of Patrol John Chell spoke about the new drones and how they work on Eyewitness News Mornings @ 10:
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