Migrants, some as young as 11 years old and living in city shelters, are being blamed for a series of robberies at the southern end of New York’s Central Park. The New York Police Department is now being forced to increase patrols in the famous park.
Police have linked around ten robberies that occurred in the park or at its southern end to a group of up to twelve boys or young migrants, the New York Police Department said on Wednesday at a press conference in front of the park. There, police announced that dozens of police officers would be sent to the tourist hotspot to counter the worrying increase in attacks.
“At this point, we can speak of a pattern of robberies by migrants,” John Chell, chief of patrol for the NYPD, told reporters outside the park at the corner of Seventh Avenue and West 59th Street.
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John Chell, chief of patrol for the New York Police Department, said at a press conference on Wednesday that migrants were responsible for the increase in crime. (NYPD via X)
“We believe they are responsible for most, if not all, of these.”
The southern end of Central Park extends from Columbus Circle in the southwest of the park to around the Plaza Hotel and Grand Army Plaza in the southeast, areas that are always crowded with tourists.
According to the NYPD, crime in Central Park has increased dramatically this year compared to the same period last year: robberies have increased by 200 percent, assaults by about 43 percent, and serious crimes by 46 percent.
Chell blamed the recent raids on a pattern involving groups of migrants, saying they operate in groups of eight and 12, as well as in pairs.
“There are about 10 robberies that fit this pattern. Most of them occurred inside or near the park. We believe they are responsible for most, if not all, of them,” he said.
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The two suspected migrants were arrested near the Roosevelt Hotel migrant shelter in Midtown Manhattan. Asylum seekers outside the hotel, which has been converted into a municipal shelter for newly arrived migrant families in New York City. (Selcuk Acar/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
The NYPD says it is now deploying an additional 40 police officers to patrol Central Park daily from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m.
Tarik Sheppard, deputy NYPD information officer, said drones would also be deployed in the park starting later this month to assist police.
“We will not tolerate crime in one of the most iconic places in the world. If you are a bad guy, you should look over our shoulders so you know we are not playing games,” Sheppard said.
“We will curb these crimes and ensure safety in Central Park.”
Half of the suspects arrested for robberies at the south end of Central Park so far this year are immigrants, ABC reports.
The news comes after an 11-year-old Venezuelan boy was arrested on Tuesday. Chell says police filmed him using credit cards that were stolen at the south end of Central Park.
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Cherry Hill Fountain in Central Park overlooking the towers of the San Remo building, New York City. (Mehul Patel/Alamy Stock Photo)
The boy and a 17-year-old were both taken into custody hours after they allegedly attacked a passenger on the Manhattan-bound 7 train in Queens at around 8:40 p.m., the New York Post reports.
The two suspects were carrying a stolen phone when they were arrested near the Roosevelt Hotel migrant shelter in Midtown Manhattan, the newspaper reported, citing sources. The victim told the Post that the 11-year-old was the “primary offender.”
At least 30 robberies have been reported at the park this year, compared to just 10 in the same period in 2023, ABC7 reports. There have also been 10 aggravated assaults this year, compared to just seven last year.
