Subway crime up 22% vs. this time last year; In latest incident, police seek person who bashed rider in head with a pipe

NEW YORK – A contemporary spate of subway crime has straphangers reeling, and there may be just right reason why for it. 

Crime in the subway is up 22% for the reason that get started of the 12 months, in step with the NYPD. 

Gov. Kathy Hochul and Mayor Eric Adams make a lot of the truth that further police had been despatched into the subway to stay riders protected, however crime underground is on the upward push, and it isn’t simply in step with the NYPD. Our staff of information newshounds has come up with some startling statistics in regards to the building up in criminal attacks since Adams were given elected. 

Just 4 days in the past, a 29-year-old guy used to be slashed at the aspect of the neck with a knife on the Queens Plaza subway station. The attacker used to be last observed dressed in a grey hooded sweatshirt and a black vest, and continues to be at massive. 

Some straphangers stated they’re frightened about subway protection. 

“It’s just like, if people, or if there are some people who are going to push you down the rail, or some people who are attacking you,” one person stated. 

“Usually it’s not safe. I don’t know what’s going on in New York now, but you’re not safe here,” stated every other. 

The identical day because the knife assault in Queens, a guy enjoying the electrical cello in the mezzanine of the Herald Square station used to be attacked from at the back of by means of a girl who hit him at the head with a steel bottle. 

Police also are looking for the person who attacked a guy with a pipe at a subway station. 

It came about simply prior to 1 a.m. Saturday on the Queensboro Plaza subway station. 

Investigators say the 31-year-old male sufferer had lacerations on his head and went to the medical institution in solid situation. 

The suspect is described as a guy, 40-50, with a medium construct and a beard. If you know him, you might be requested to touch the NYPD. 

Since the start of the 12 months, there was a 22.6% building up in subway crime: 266 incidents, in comparison to 217 in the similar duration of time in 2023. 

That’s now not all. CBS New York Investigates has analyzed information from the last a number of years. It displays New Yorkers are reporting just about 3 times as many criminal attacks at the subway since 2022 than they had been a decade in the past, and about 46% extra attacks than in 2019, the last 12 months prior to the pandemic. 

“With hundreds more officers surged into transit, 15,000 cameras in stations and thousands more cameras on trains assisting the NYPD, anyone breaking the law in transit can count on getting caught. Governor Hochul and Mayor Adams’ Cops, Cameras and Care initiative produced a drop in serious crimes overall last year and It’s now up to prosecutors and the courts to ensure real consequences so the same people aren’t free to keep coming back to prey on transit workers and riders,” New York City Transit President Richard Davey stated, in spite of our findings.   

“I’m always concerned about safety on the subway,” one straphanger stated. “There’s some subways that you have policemen on the platform patrolling, walking around, and there’s others that there’s nothing there.” 

“Keep your eyes open and pray,” stated every other. 

The MTA has put in buttons to summon assist in an emergency. It’s unclear how lengthy it takes for law enforcement officials to reach as soon as the button is pressed. 

Anyone with any information in regards to the pipe assault is requested to name the NYPD’s Crime Stoppers hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477), or for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782). You too can post a tip via their website or by means of DM on Twitter, @NYPDTips. All calls are stored confidential.