Violent crime is spiking in the Big Apple’s busiest tourist hub — even as Mayor Eric Adams is set to deliver a State of the City speech raving about how much safer the five boroughs are.
NYPD crime stats show that as of Sept. 8 compared to the same period in 2023, robberies have soared more than 90% and felony assaults jumped nearly 73% in the Manhattan North Precinct — which covers tourist magnets like Radio City Music Hall, Rockefeller Plaza, the Theater District, and St. Patrick’s Cathedral. Burglaries also jumped 58%, while the precinct has handled three murders — one more than last year over the same span — and two more rapes, from seven last year to nine this year.
“Society is a mess, and all we can do is pray,” a security guard working at Eighth Avenue and West 47th Street told The Post on Sunday. “Every day there’s something, whether it’s drugs or the homeless,” the worker said. A local said neighborhood vagrants can be particularly troublesome. “They’re disturbing people that live in the building,” the source said. “They block the stairs. We don’t let them stay, so we have to tell them to leave. That’s why [security] are here.”
The Manhattan North stats are in contrast to citywide figures for the same period, which show an overall 2.5% drop in crime in the five boroughs, including a nearly 13% dip in murder. “This is a beautiful block, the problems come in waves, and when they do, we bring attention to it, and it gets fixed,” said a 55-year-old local, who gave his name as Ojo. “We have had problems with empty buildings on this block, but since that was fixed, it’s been good. We have a block association so that does help a lot.” Citywide burglaries have also dropped nearly 9% year to date.
The softer stats are expected to be the linchpin of Adams’ State of the City address Monday. A rep for the mayor said in an e-mail to The Post on Sunday, “Public safety and justice are the prerequisites to prosperity, and since day one of this administration, we’ve been squarely focused on keeping New Yorkers safe. “Since the start of the administration, we’ve taken more than 18,000 illegal guns off the streets, implemented policies to bring shootings down in August to the lowest number known for that month, brought robberies on our subway system down to the lowest number in recorded history, and seen eight straight months of overall crime declines. The NYPD is filled with dedicated public servants who continue to work and deliver for this city every single day.”
Several residents and merchants in Manhattan North said that while the figures may be grim so far this year, they are better than in the recent past. “It’s certainly safer than COVID times,” local Adam Richardson, 51, said. “Of course we have the problems with the shelter and the halfway house, but I think it’s definitely much improved. “A lot, lot less syringes. That used to be a real problem.” Another resident, Sal Baker, 42, agreed that things have improved. “Much better than a year ago. Much much better,” he said. “It was awful last year. “There used to be needles everywhere, so it was a big problem with people walking their dogs,” Baker added. “Not only needles, but the little pink and purple capsules of drugs that had fentanyl.”
Still, underground can be a different story. As The Post reported Sunday, the murder rate in the subway system has soared by 60% this year. While overall transit crime has dipped, eight people have been killed in the subways so far this year, up from five over the same time span in 2023. From 1997 to 2020, there were never more than five murders in the subway system in a single year, according to the earliest public NYPD data. But in Manhattan North, which has a steady flow of tourist traffic — particularly with the holidays approaching — it has been a recent outlier when it comes to violent crime. According to NYPD stats, the neighborhood saw 158 robberies through Sept. 8 this year, up from 83 over the same period last year, for a jump of 90.4%.
Cops also reported 204 felony assaults in the area, up from just 118 last year, or an increase of 72.9%, while burglaries jumped to 139, a boost from 88 last year for a 58% increase. Even the NYPD’s neighboring Midtown South Precinct, which saw an overall drop in crime of more than 10% over last year, reported four murders — two more than last year — and 20 rapes so far this year compared to 10 over the same span last year, the stats show. Midtown South encompasses other city mega-sites such as Penn Station, Madison Square Garden, and Greeley Square. It also includes a bustling block that’s so downtrodden it’s been dubbed the “Strip of Despair.”
Merchants along the Eighth Avenue corridor said open-air drug use, emotionally disturbed vagrants, and brazen shoplifters have become a way of life along the block. “It’s like we’ve been bombed, a resident said in an earlier Post report. “It’s a bad situation.
Walking down the street, you witness a bleak scene unfolding before your eyes. Money is exchanging hands, crack pipes are being lit, and people are engaged in violent altercations. It’s a sight that sends shivers down your spine, and you can’t help but feel a sense of unease in the air.
As you observe the chaos around you, a voice in your head warns you, “You don’t want to dare get stuck in the middle of that.” And you know they’re right. The situation unfolding before you is dangerous, volatile, and unpredictable. It’s a world that you want to stay far away from, a world where the consequences of getting involved could be dire.
The exchange of money is just the tip of the iceberg. Behind it lies a web of illicit activities, fueled by addiction and desperation. The crack pipes being lit are a stark reminder of the destructive power of drugs, tearing apart lives and communities in their wake. And the fights breaking out are a manifestation of the tensions and conflicts that simmer beneath the surface, ready to erupt at a moment’s notice.
In the midst of it all, you feel a sense of helplessness. What can you do in the face of such overwhelming darkness? How can you make a difference in a world that seems beyond redemption? It’s a question that weighs heavily on your mind as you navigate the streets, trying to avoid the pitfalls that lurk around every corner.
But amidst the chaos, there are glimmers of hope. There are individuals and organizations working tirelessly to bring about positive change, to offer a lifeline to those caught in the grips of addiction and despair. They are the unsung heroes of the community, fighting against the tide of destruction with unwavering determination and compassion.
As you continue on your journey, you carry with you the images of what you have seen. The money exchanging hands, the crack pipes being lit, the people fighting. They serve as a reminder of the harsh realities that exist in our world, and the urgent need for action and intervention. And though the road ahead may be long and difficult, you know that it is a path worth treading, for the sake of those who are suffering and in need of help.
