Crime rates seem to be on the rise throughout New York City neighborhoods like the West Village and Greenwich Village, which have dealt with the most intense spikes in crime over this year out of the five boroughs, as reported by the New York City Police Department in a recent release that was published just last week.
When compared to the crime statistics from the same time last year, Manhattan’s 6th Precinct sport an 80% increase on average in significant crime overall, with the total burglaries up about 119% and the rates for grand latencies by up to 100%.
Both resident and business owners alike have spoken out to various media outlets in order to explain their anger over the total law of law and order for a neighborhood that i known for historic brownstones, celebrity sitings, and gentrified taquerias on roofs amid the fashion and arts scene.
The owner of the Village Revival records in Greenwich Village, Jama Alnasr, stated to CBS 2 that he just doesn’t call the police anymore because “anything seems to go these days.”
“There are some real criminals in the streets. Let’s face the facts, alright?” stated business owner Jamal Alnasr. “We need to enforce some laws a little tougher, I guess.”
As stated by the most recent data, other crime stats show that thefts of cars have spiked 39%, rapes have gone up almost 43%, and robberies have gone up by about 45%.
“It’s a drag because I don’t even go out at night anymore, and that’s not me,” expressed one resident to CBS 2.
Muhammed Akma, the owner of New University Pen & Stationery on Bleecker Street, stated to CBS 2 that he is just used to shoplifters as the norm at this point.
“Sometimes they come two, three times a day. Sometimes they don’t show up like two, three days, at least once a week, always something happens,” stated Akmal.
One employee at Karma Nepal Crafts on Bleeker Street, Anisha Ghale, stated to the New York Post that they have started to use double-sided tape underneath the jewelry trays as a way to slow down the thieves as they commit their crimes.
“Crime is increasing day-by-day right now, and they’re becoming really fearless,” she explained to The Post.
“Like even if we say ‘I’ll call 911’ they don’t care about it,” she stated. “They say ‘yeah you can do whatever you want — I don’t care.’ Even if the police come, they take them away, they come after 2 to 3 weeks and do the same thing again,” explained Ghale.
The general manager of John’s of Bleecker Street pizzeria, Kevin Jackson, blamed the increase in theft on the new bail reform policies from the city, which just lets more larceny suspects go because they do not have to post bail or bond.
“This whole bail reform has to go,” exclaimed Jackson to the New York Post.
“Our biggest issue is with the homeless bothering the customers with the outdoor dining … Some of them do have weapons,” he stated. “I had a knife pulled on me about four months ago. It’s a dangerous situation.”
“I don’t even call (the police) anymore, I just to try shoo them away, and they give you a hard time,” stated Jackson. “I basically just guide them away from the customers.”