Park Crime Increases 18% - Up Nearly 60% Over 5 years

Police investigate the rape and strangulation of a 28-year-old Russian woman on November 17th in Central Park near 100th street between Fifth Avenue and the East Drive. Police arrested Omar Hoist, 32, a few days later. (Photos: Geoffrey Croft/NYC Park Advocates) 

There were 26 incidents in Central Park during the final quarter of 2013 including eight robberies, and two felony assaults. 

City-Wide

By Geoffrey Croft

Crime in the city's 31 largest parks rose 18% in 2013 over the previous year according to the latest figures compiled by the NYPD.

There were 417 major felonies reported in these parks the highest yearly total since 2009 when the City Council began to receive crime in parks information from the small data set.

In 2012 there were 354 felony crimes reported. 

Crime increased by nearly 60 % over last 5 years of the Bloomberg administration the data shows.

Three parks accounted nearly 60% of all crime that occurred in quarter: Central Park (26 incidents); Flushing Meadows (17 incidents); and Riverside Park (13 incidents).  

The dramatic increase in park crime comes of heals of comments made last week by Police Commissioner Bratton who spoke about his work in re-organizing the department including some of the issues he will focus upon.

The commissioner mentioned that he along with his consultant, criminologist George Keeling, author of the "Broken Windows Theory" -  will be resurveying "parks and open spaces."

Under Bloomberg the city had been remarkably slow to implement a GPS system to track crime in parks. GPS mapping which is what is ultimately needed has finally begun in some parks as part of the Citywide Street Centerline (CSCL) database - but this should have been completed many years ago. 

Year  Total number of major felony crime complaints

2013   417  

2012   354  

2011   327 

2010  328 

2009   265

There were 93 major felonies in city parks in the fourth quarter of 2013. This is the highest number of felony crimes in parks in a fourth quarter in the past four years.

Lowlights

Central Park  - Manhattan       1 Rape, 8 Robberies, and 2 Felony Assaults 

Crotona Park - Bronx                     8 Robberies

Flushing Meadows - Queens 4 Robberies, two Burglaries, and 9 Grand Larceny

Prospect Park -  Brooklyn 1 Rape, 6 Robberies, 

Riverside Park - Manhattan 8 Robberies, and 5 Felony Assaults

Last month the City Council passed Int 859-A, Peter Vallone's revamped park crime bill after Mayor Bloomberg vetoed it in one of his final acts as mayor.   

The new bill includes important improvements to a previous weak law passed in 2005 that omitted more than half the park properties.

The bill also removes the language that made compliance of the original 2005 park crime reporting bill, “subject to the availability of resources and the introduction of the necessary technology, ” a stipulation that the NYPD relied on, at least legally,  in order to avoid comply with the law.   

Beginning January 1, 2014, the new bill requires the NYPD to report the data for the thirty largest parks, as determined by acreage;  beginning June 1, 2014, the NYPD would have been required to report data for the one hundred largest parks, beginning January 1, 2015, report data for two hundred largest parks, beginning January 1, 2016, report data for the three hundred largest parks and beginning January 1, 2017, the NYPD  report data for all parks one acre or greater in size.

Unfortunately the new law gives the city another four years to comply with the tracking crime for more than half of the park properties.  Beginning in January 1, 2018, the NYPD will be required to report data for all public pools, basketball courts, recreation centers, and playgrounds that are not located within parks one acre or greater in size. 

The bill also requires the NYPD to conspicuously post all quarterly reports of major felony crime complaints for parks online via the department’s website within 5 business days of the department’s submission of such reports to the Council.  The data was not released this way on Tuesday. 

The original bill dubbed,  "What Happens In Parks Stays In Parks,"   by critics contained a number of glaring omissions that continued to jeopardize public safety. The bill was introduced by Peter Vallone and supported by the Parks Department partner organization New Yorkers For Parks.

In 2005 the City passed Local Law 114, requiring the Police Department to track and release felony crime data in all parks only one acre or greater after three years which the city did not comply with.   More than eight years after being passed the NYPD was still only reporting crimes in 30 city parks, plus Central Park which has it own police precinct.

In response to an uptick of violent crimes and to repeated calls on the Bloomberg administration to increase the severely depleted ranks of Parks Enforcement Patrol (PEP),  last year the administration doubled the number officers. 

The City hired 80 officers bringing the total number to 161 a dramatic decrease of 450 officers in the 90's. 

More than a dozen officers however have already left the agency since being hired bringing the number  down below 150.   Officers cite poor pay, lack of moral caused by poor management, and opportunity for advancement within the job as reasons for leaving. 

Evergreen Playground, Brooklyn - July 13, 2012.   A Parks Department worker washes down the basketball court hours after 24-year-old Kevin Daugherty was shot in the eye while playing ball died a year later. Most playgrounds are less than 1 acre in size. Unfortunately the new law gives the city another four years to comply with the tracking crime for more than half of the park properties.  Beginning in January 1, 2018, the NYPD will be required to report data for all public pools, basketball courts, recreation centers, and playgrounds that are not located within parks one acre or greater in size.  

Read More:

Biggest New York City Parks See Increase in Felonies

Wall Street Journal - March  12, 2014 - By Michael Saul

Bloomberg's Park Crime Reporting Bill Veto is Overridden By City Council

A Walk In The Park - February 4, 2014 - By Geoffrey Croft

New York City crime down, except in parks

WABC News -  March 12, 2014  

Vallone's Park Crime Reporting Bill Comes Under Fire

"It is imperative that the City track crime in all parks and playgrounds not just on properties of one acre or greater.   The City has had enough time to create a system to track and monitor crime it just has not been a priority. "  -  State Senator Tony Avella

PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE TO HOLD HEARING ON PARK CRIME REPORTS

The City Council’s Public Safety Committee – chaired by Council Member Peter F. Vallone Jr. – will being holding a hearing this afternoon at 1:00pm on Vallone’s proposed local law requiring the police department to submit to the Council reports of crime in parks. 

However the legislation is deeply flawed as it only require the tracking of crime in parks and playgrounds one acre or greater.

It has been repeatedly pointed out that most playgrounds are less than one acre in size.

As it stands now the bill as introduced would not track crimes in the majority of parks as most crimes do not happen in parks one acre or greater.  The bill also omits incidents that occur in recreation centers and pools.  There is no reason to exclude the tracking and reporting of crime in all parks playgrounds and recreation centers. The language should also include not only the police department but also the parks department as we know THEY do track crime through its communication division but they do not publicly release the data.

The city has had many years to comply with the reporting including the implementation of Vallone's original 2005 bill but the city has been allowed to avoid it.

"It is imperative that the City track crime in all parks and playgrounds not just on properties of one acre or greater., " State Senator Tony Avella said in a statement.

"The legislation I introduced ( S 5911) closes important loopholes that currently exist in the bill sponsored by Council Member Vallone.

My bill would also be enacted within a year.  The City has had enough time to create a system to track and monitor crime it just has not been a priority. " 

"Mr. Vallone's What happens in parks stays in parks  legislation continues to put the lives of the public and our officers in jeopardy by not requiring the city track crimes in park properties including ALL parks and playgrounds,  and recreation centers," said Joe Puleo, president of Local 983 which represents Park Enforcement Patrol officers. 

"We cannot support this legislation as written. We have tried to bring the bill's problems to your attention but our concerns have been ignored. We fully support State Senator Tony Alleva's park crime reporting legislation that actually closes the loopholes and provides an important level  of accountability. "

City Council’s Public Safety Committee – chaired by Council Member Peter F. Vallone Jr. – will being holding a hearing on Vallone’s proposed local law this afternoon at 1:00pm.

WHAT: Public Safety Committee to Hold Hearing on Reporting Crimes in Parks
WHEN: Friday, November 22^nd, 1:00 PM
WHERE: 250 Broadway, 16^th Floor Hearing Room

Park Crime Surges - Calls For Increased Security

On Thursday June 9th, five people were shot on the Park Department's Brighton Beach Boardwalk including a 16-year old East Harlem girl who was tragically killed.

Over the last twelve weeks alone, there have been twelve shootings, including five deaths, and more than a dozen stabbings and muggings and numerous sexual assaults. Since January there have more than 150 arrests on park land including 98 in Union Square Park alone. And the Summer has yet to begin.

"Frankly, I think it's a shame for people to sort of gin it up

and try to panic people into believing that parks are not safe," Parks Commissioner Adrian Benepe.

"They're

safer than they've ever been."

There were only 2 Park Enforcement Patrol officers (PEP) officers available for patrol for nearly 7, 000 acres of park land today. This deployment number stands in sharp contrast to so called "contract parks" which pay for dedicated PEP assigned permanently to work in one park.

"Friday's attack in Inwood Hill Park has brought new attention to a problem people in my community have known about for years: the shortage of Park Enforcement Patrol officers in working and middle class neighborhoods," said Council Member Ydanis Rodriguez.

City Wide

By Geoffrey Croft

City Council members including Julissa Ferreras, Robert Jackson and Ydanis Rodriguez, Parks Chair Melissa Mark- Viverito, Peter Vallone, Jr., Park Enforcement Patrol Officers, Community members, NYC Park Advocates and union representatives from local 983 including vice president Joe Puleo called on the City today to increase the security presents in our park system.

The recent explosion of crime on city parkland has once again highlighted the severe need to increase safety in our park system.

On Thursday June 9th, five people were shot on the Park Department's Brighton Beach Boardwalk including a 16-year old East Harlem girl who was tragically killed.

Within 24 hours three people were stabbed, and a woman raped in other park incidents throughout the city.

Over the last twelve weeks alone, there have been twelve shootings, including five deaths, and more than a dozen stabbings and muggings, numerous sexual assaults and more than 150 arrests on park land since January. Police have made have made 98 arrests in Union Square Park alone. And the Summer has yet to begin.

It is no secret that having a uniformed presence acts as a deterrent.

The Parks Department's Park Enforcement Patrol (PEP), whose responsibility is to ensure "the safe use of parks," is severely understaffed.

Council Member Ydanis Rodriguez (l) joined Park Enforcement Patrol Officers, Community members, park advocates and union representatives from local 983 including vice president Joe Puleo (r) to call on the City to increase the security presents in our park system.

"Friday's attack in Inwood Hill Park has brought new attention to a problem people in my community have known about for years: the shortage of Park Enforcement Patrol officers in working and middle class neighborhoods. While Battery Park is able to protect its visitors with 34 officers, Manhattan north of 110th St has to make do with only 2 to patrol all of its parks. We will no longer stand for this discrepancy, and demand an increase of Park Enforcement Patrol officers to once again make our parks safe" said Council Member Ydanis Rodriguez.

In 2010, crime in parks grew 24%, yet the mayor's proposed budget includes just $10.6 million in city funds for 151 PEP positions. The number of full-time officers has declined dramatically from a high of 450 in the mid-1990s. On June 3, Park Commissioner Adrian Benepe testified there are only 98 City funded PEP officers. This is alarming, considering they are responsible for securing more than 29,000 acres (14% of the city's land).

It is also very important to note that the City refuses to comply with Local Law 114 (2005) which mandates the reporting and tracking of crime in parks and playgrounds 1 acre or larger. The City currently tracks crime in only 30 of the city's 1, 700 parks and playgrounds.

"While our parks offer New Yorkers beautiful open spaces and the chance to be alone, that same solitude may place them in danger. With a depleted police force it's more important than ever that we have enough PEP officers, " said Peter F. Vallone Jr, Chair of the Public Safety Committee.

Investing in PEP also makes financial sense because it costs considerably less than deploying NYPD officers to park patrol, and PEP frees the police for more pressing issues. There are also 8, 000 fewer NYPD officers available for patrol than a decade ago.

"Parks are in chaos," said Joe Puleo, Vice President of Local 983 who represents PEP officers. "We demand the City allocate an additional ten million dollars for park safety. Millions of dollars were baselined for PEP a few years ago but that money has disappeared."

Compounding the problem, the city has repeatedly tried to mislead the public and the media on PEP deployment numbers as well as downplay the amount of crime.

"Frankly, I think it's a shame for people to sort of gin it up

and try to panic people into believing that parks are not safe," Parks Commissioner Adrian Benepe told WNYC radio in response to

outraged elected officials, community members and the Local 983 demanding greater protection in our parks.

"They're

safer than they've ever been."

Benpe told WNYC that crime in the parks has gone

down over the past ten years - and that hiring more officers is simply

not an option with the department facing a 25 million dollar budget cut.

The commissioner

did not however explain how he came to the supposed park crime reduction data

considering the city only began tracking crime in a handful of parks four years ago. He also did not explain the relevance of comparing crime 10 years ago with what's happening today.

"We recognize it’s the union’s job to maximize positions for its members, but our job is to put taxpayer dollars where they’re most needed to maximize quality of life in our parks,” Parks Department spokesperson Vickie Karp told the Daily News.

"Apparently public safety is NOT a quality-of-life issue according to the Park Department," Local 983 who represents PEP responded in a statement. "The Parks Department's repugnant and callous response typifies the lack of accountability in the Bloomberg administration."

During the summer the already low number of officers declines dramatically as the majority of PEP personnel are deployed to beaches and pools.

Over the last few weeks, Queens lost three officers, the Bronx two and Brooklyn five. This leaves the vast majority of city parks completely unprotected. Some days there are no officers available for patrol. These numbers are shocking considering the tens of millions of people who use our parks annually.

There is an enormous disparity between the number of dedicated PEP in publicly funded parks than in those parks that receive substantial private funds. The city's increasing reliance on these schemes has resulted in a vastly unequal distribution of services.

Despite having the least amount of park space and the third highest population, Manhattan has more than 15 times the number of Parks Enforcement officers as other boroughs. At full strength, only seven full-time dedicated PEP officers are available to patrol more than 6, 700 acres of parkland in Queens, five for 6, 970 acres in the Bronx, seven for Brooklyn's 4, 336 acres, and five for Staten Island's 7, 400 acres. These numbers drop further when you factor in vacations, sick days and days off.

By sharp contrast, an increasing number of public parks - almost exclusively in Manhattan - have a dedicated security presence, some 24/7. More than 50% of PEP officers are now permanently assigned to "contract parks" - parks run by select private nonprofits, or other government agencies that buy what are supposed to be a basic city service. A few shell out more than $2 million annually. Contractually, these parks are required to have a minimum number of officers deployed.

For example, Battery Park City has more than 40 officers for 35 acres, Hudson River Park has more than 30 officers for 150 acres. Madison Square Park has three, plus seasonals for 6 acres: Bryant Park spends $900, 000 annually for 22 private security personnel, including 12 patrol officers for its 6 acres. The Bloomberg administration had assigned 11 full-time officers to the High Line's 2.8 acres.

Central Park also has multiple PEP officers assigned, in addition to having its own police precinct with more than 125 officers.

These numbers highlight the enormous disparity between publicly funded parks and those that receive substantial private funds. The city's increasing reliance on these schemes has resulted in a vastly unequal distribution of service. Experience over the last 20 years has proven that private subsidies to individual parks have created an enormous gap between the haves and the have-nots, while ignoring the real problem - that our parks are not funded as an essential city service.

Compounding the problem, the city has repeatedly tried to mislead the public on the deployment numbers.

It was revealed at a recent City Council hearing that the number of PEP officers hired from city funds fell far short of the amount adopted in the budget. A senior Parks official said this was to due to a hiring freeze. That is not accurate. There have been four PEP academy classes over the last year. However, the officers hired have been diverted to contract parks.

All communities deserve safe, well-maintained parks, not just those that can afford to pay extra. This is a basic quality-of-life issue. We need our elected officials to allocate the necessary funds and to make sure they are distributed equally.

“PEP officers have a critical role to play in preventing criminal activity in our parks,” said Parks & Recreation Committee Chair Melissa Mark-Viverito. “The recent high-profile incidents on our City’s parkland – including the recent killing of 16-year-old Tysha Jones at Brighton Beach – have reminded us that we must develop a strategy to make our parks safer as we head into the summer, and that strategy should include PEP officers. This fall, I will be working with my colleague, Public Safety Chair Peter Vallone, to convene a hearing on issues around crime in parks and the coordination between PEP officers and the police. I thank all of our city’s PEP officers for all of the important work they do in helping to make our parks safe and enjoyable for all New Yorkers.”

"The city has basically abandoned the idea of securing its 29,000 acres of public parkland. All neighborhood parks deserve to be safe—not just those created by the wealthy and well-connected," said Geoffrey Croft, President of NYC Park Advocates. "In good economic times and bad It is astonishing that the city's elected officials continue to put the public in harms way by allocating a fraction of the expense dollars needed to maintain and secure our vast park system. It simply isn't a priority. The City must allocate proper funds."

Read/View More

As Violent Crimes Mount, Many Call For More Park Enforcement Officers

NY 1 - June 15, 2011 - By Dean Meminger

NYC Park Crimes Spur Calls For More Patrols

New York Daily News - June 15, 2011 - By Alex Katz

Increased Park Security Called For

WPIX 11 - June 15, 2011 - By Kaity Tong

Rape, Shooting, Muggings In City Parks Prompt Demands For More Police

gothamist - June 16, 2011 - By John Del Signore

WNYC - June 15, 2011 - By Brian Zumhagen (transcript below)

Bx Residents Call For More Officers In Parks

News 12 Bronx - June 15, 2011 - By Gilma Avalos

Bk

Residents Call For More Officers In Parks

News 12 Bronx - June 15, 2011 - By Josh Chapin

Exigen más vigilancia en los parques

El Diario NY - June 16, 2011 - By Christina Loboguerrero

Demanding more security in public parks

El Diario NY - June 16, 2011 - By Christina Loboguerrero (

Spanish translation by Emily Leavitt)

Ola de ataques sexuales desata el pánico en NY

Residentes de Inwood y el alto Manhattan piden más vigilancia a las autoridades

El Diario NY - June 14, 2011 - By Jose Acosta

Park Enforcement Officers Say They Need More Personnel

A Walk In The Park - March 13, 2011

WYNC

Some City Council members and activists are calling on Mayor Bloomberg

to add 10 million dollars to the city budget to hire more parks patrol

officers, citing a concern with crime..

Geoffrey Croft of New York City Parks Advocates Croft says, as the

number of park enforcement officers has gone down, crime has gone up.

[CROFT: over the last nine weeks alone, there have been twelve

shootings, including five deaths, and more than a dozen stabbings, on

parkland. And the summer has yet to begin.]

But Parks commissioner Adrian Benepe says crime in the parks has gone

down over the past ten years --and that hiring more officers is simply

not an option with the department facing a 25 million dollar budget cut.

[BENEPE: Crime has not increased in parks. Over the last decade it's

gone down dramatically, as it has all over the city. Frankly, I think

it's a shame for people to sort of gin it up and try to panic people

into believing that parks are not safe. They're safer than they've ever

been.]

The city's budget is due June 30th.

Who's Protecting Our Parks

NYCPA has obtained numbers for full-time dedicated Park Enforcement Patrol (PEP) personnel, broken down by borough and park acreage, that reveal a striking disparity. (As of April 21, 2011) The figures were confirmed by DC 37 Local 983 which represents PEP and CSA's.

Bronx - (For 6,970 acres)

5 PEP

2 - Sgt.

1 - Captain

Brooklyn - (For 4,336 acres)

7 - PEP

3 - Sgt.

1 - Captain

MaCarren Park (35 acres)

1 PEP - (Privately funded)

Brooklyn Bridge Park (25 acres)

6 - PEP

3 - Sgt.

(Park privately funded through Payment in Lieu of Taxes (PILOTS) from residential charges)

Manhattan - (2,704 acres)

Union Sq. (3.5 acres)

2 PEP

(privately funded)

Washington Sq. (for 10 acres)

2 PEP

(Privately funded)

Madison Sq. (For 6 acres)

3 - PEP plus Dedicated Seasonal

(Privately funded)

Riverside Park (South) (For 7 acres)

5 - PEP

1 - Sgt.

(Privately funded through residential charges)

Riverside Park (North) - (For 316 acres)

0 - PEP

Morningside Park (30 acres)

1 - PEP (Privately funded)

Hudson River Park - (For 150 Acres)

26 PEP

4 - Sgt.

1 - Captain

High Line (2.8 acres)

4 - PEP

2 - Sgt.

Battery Park City - (For 35 acres)

35 PEP

6 - Sgt.

1 - Capt.

Plus desk CSA's

(City/State park privately funded through Payment in Lieu of Taxes (PILOTS) from residential charges)

Central Park

7 - North Meadow

3 - Sgt.

1 - Captain

West Harlem Piers - (2 acres)

4 - PEP (Privately funded)

Manhattan North - 125th Street to Tip - (Acres N/A)

3 - PEP

2 - AUPR (Sergeants - Supervisors)

Manhattan South - 59th Street - to the Battery (Acres N/A)

3 - PEP

1 - Sgt.

1 - Capt.

Central Park* - (For 843 acres)

102 available for patrol

20 Supervisors

*Note: Central Park has the only NYPD precinct located in a park.

Randall's Island

2 -PEP

1 -Sgt.

(Privately Funded)

Queens (For 7,300 acres)

7 PEP

3 - Sgt.

1 - Captain

Staten Island (For 7,417 acres)

5 - PEP

3 - Sgt.

1 - Captain

Mounted (for events)

2 PEP

1 Sgt.

(On patrol less than four hours out of eight hour tour)

City-Wide

14

NYC Park Advocates Inc. is a non-profit, non-partisan watchdog group dedicated to improving public parks, restoring public funding, increasing public recreation programs, expanding open space and accessibility, and achieving the equitable distribution of these vital services in New York City for all. We are the only non-profit park advocacy group dedicated to all City, State and Federal parkland in New York City. For more information please visit us at http://nycparkadvocates.org

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