🌱 Latest NYPD Crime Stats + Rodent-Proof Trash Bins Coming To Harlem

Good morning, New York City!

• Shootings and homicides were down last month, NYPD stats show.
• New Yorkers are angry following the killing of a man on the subway.
• Rodent-proof containers are coming to Harlem streets.

But first, today's weather: A brief shower or two. High: 56 Low: 48.

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Here are the top five stories today in New York City:

1. Shooting incidents and homicides both decreased in New York City last month when compared to April 2022, by 31.4 percent and 5.9 percent respectively. The NYPD released its monthly crime statistics on Wednesday, just minutes after Gov. Kathy Hochul signed public safety measures in the state's $299 billion budget, which include tweaks to the state's bail reform laws. Overall, crime increased last month by 3.8 percent. (New York City Patch)
2. Anger and outrage is growing after a man was strangled to death by another man on the subway, while the first appeared to be in the midst of a mental health crisis. Protestors gathered in the subway on Wednesday demanding justice. The death was deemed a homicide by the Chief Medical Examiner's office, but the man who fatally strangled the straphanger had not been formally charged. (THE CITY)
3. Harlem will see containerized rodent-proof trash bins on streets with schools and between 110th and 155th streets, according to a local councilman. The pilot program is starting in the fall–and it might be beginning in Harlem because the neighborhood was recently identified by the city as a "rat hot spot," based on 311 calls. (Harlem Patch)
4. New York City received two chartered buses carrying asylum seekers traveling from Texas on Wednesday, one with 41 and the other with 50, but officials say that number could swell to upwards of 1,000 daily. They join the roughly 59,000 migrants that have arrived in the city since last spring. (Gothamist)
5. New Yorkers in a tizzy over double-parking now have a new venue to let out their gripes. The Department of Transportation launched a new portal that lets people report which areas they frequently see cars or trucks double parking or parking in bus or bike lanes. (AMNY)

New York City pic of the day:

Remember to submit a photo from your neighborhood to newyorkcity@patch.com for a chance to be featured! We love skylines, bodega cats, coffee shops, streetscapes, parks and everything else that makes this city great.

Today in New York City:

• The Lower East Side Film Festival — Opening Night (6:30 p.m.)
• Sara Schaefer: Going Up (7 p.m.)
• Syren Modern Dance Premiers ITHAKA at the Gibney Studio (7:30 p.m.)
• May the 4th Be With you at The Springs "Star Wars" Movie Night on 5/4 (8 p.m.)
• Lemonade — comedy show (9:30 p.m.)

From my notebook:

• Now another three parking garages in NYC have been ordered to vacate by the Department of Buildings, following a deadly collapse in Lower Manhattan. (New York Post)
• There's a Hello Kitty food truck, and it's returning to New York City! (Time Out)
• The TD Five Borough Bike Tour is taking over the city streets for its 40-mile run this weekend — which means plenty of street closures. (New York City Patch)
• A school on the Upper West Side for at-risk teenagers is being moved to East Harlem, against the wishes of many students. (Upper West Side Patch)

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Alrighty, you're all good for today. I'll catch up with you bright and early tomorrow morning with a new update!

— Dashiell Allen

Have a news tip or suggestion for an upcoming New York City Patch newsletter? Contact me at patchnyc@patch.com