Crime is up in New York City, but perhaps the most surprising part is that it isn't worse. The super storm of migrants, mentally unwell homeless, hard drugs, and fewer police is a recipe for disaster. Tonight and tomorrow, add St. Patrick's Day revelry...it could get interesting.
First off, the number of subway shootings is up tremendously. 2024 subway shootings have already surpassed all of of 2023, but City Hall doesn't report statistics to reflect how bad it is underground. Much headline fanfare was made of the latest subway shooter facing no charges, but that's only because he used his assailant's handgun to defend himself.
As TheManhattan predicted, the political stunt of placing 1,000 MTA police, state troopers, and National Guardsmen in the subway system hasn't done anything but slow down commuters. Bag checks never made sense. Shoving someone onto the tracks doesn't require a bag full of weapons.
Alex Jones and others have made the case that troops in the subway system has less to do with crime and more to do with loss of freedom and increased surveillance by the state. It's a fair point, let's see if they become a permanent presence like the TSA in our airports.
The city has done a reasonable job in slowing moped gang crime. But where a door closes, a window opens. In the case below, a 25 year-old illegal immigrant attempted to kidnap a girl in Queens. Thanks to her mother's quick reaction, the girl was freed. Given the number of bored, violent criminals in the city streets, and the lack of legal enforcement, it's a matter of when, not if serious crime increases.
