More Police Patrols Come To UES Amid Crime Uptick In Central Park

UPPER EAST SIDE, NY — More police officers have begun patrolling in the areas in and around Central Park, including around the Upper East Side, in response to a recent string of criminal activity, officials said.

Members of the NYPD raised concerns on Tuesday, highlighting a surge in crime within Central Park. They disclosed a startling statistic: reported robberies have surged by over 300% this year compared to the corresponding period last year.

NYPD Chief of Department Jeffrey Maddrey noted that the majority of these robberies take place during the evening hours and typically target electronics such as phones and high-end headphones.

Maddrey specified that there have been 18 incidents reported in the park thus far this year, a stark contrast to the four reported during the same period last year.

To help ramp up patrols, NYPD officials have announced a substantial increase in the presence of officers within Central Park. Additionally, they have expanded deployment beyond the park's confines to include the four precincts surrounding it and heightened surveillance through the use of additional cameras.

"The coordination between the Central Park precinct and the police officers in and around Central Park is well coordinated. We are using all resources available in the NYPD to address this," Chief Ruel Stephenson said.

Officials delivered an update Tuesday morning regarding the recent spate of violent robberies, revealing an arrest in connection with a sexually motivated robbery that occurred last week.

Police also addressed the latest incident, involving a man who forcibly took a cell phone from a woman walking in Central Park and then threw it into Swan Lake. The attack, described as random and unprovoked, occurred on Monday.

Thanks to a witness account, Fontaine Moise, 42, was arrested and charged with criminal mischief, police said. Court records show that he was freed without bond at his arraignment in Manhattan Criminal Court.

The NYPD did not speculate on the explanation for the increase in crime compared to the same period last year.