UES Community Group Wants More Cops Walking Streets

UPPER EAST SIDE, NY — An Upper East Side community group launched a petition calling on Mayor Bill de Blasio and NYPD Commissioner Dermot Shea to increase funding for the local 19th NYPD Precinct to put more cops on neighborhood streets.

The East 86th Street Association — which describes itself as a nonprofit created to enhance "quality of life" in the East 80s — is calling for the increased police presence as a reaction to a perceived increase in crime on the Upper East Side, according to the petition. As of Thursday, the online petition gained more than 400 signatures.

"There are approximately 200,000 residents in this area and only 185 police officers. The precinct has less than 1 officer per 1000 residents which is far below New York State and national average for this size community," the group's petition reads.

Comments left by people who have signed the petition warned of a "major" crime increase in the neighborhood and lamented the lack of police officers "walking the beat" on the Upper East Side.

Crime statistics for the 19th Precinct show that some violent crimes are occurring at lower rates in 2020 than at this time in 2019, but the neighborhood has seen an increase in the number of robberies. As of Feb. 2, felony assaults are down from 13 to 11, burglaries are down from 31 to 26 and misdemeanor assaults are down from 31 to 26, according to NYPD Compstat data. Robberies have increased 108% from 12 to 25 and grand larcenies have increased 10% from 157 to 173.

Statistics show and up-and-down picture of crime in the neighborhood, but a recent rash of high-profile crimes that have garnered media attention may be contributing to the perception of a crime wave. The Upper East Side saw its first murder in two years recently, a serial burglar was breaking into apartments through fire escapes and a robber terrorized the neighborhood with random attacks.

When asked to comment on the petition, an NYPD spokeswoman said: "Precinct staffing levels citywide are carefully monitored but constantly fluctuate and NYPD is committed to protecting all New York City communities and ensuring the safety of everyone who lives and works in them."