In Hudson River Park, Crime Mostly Declines But Mental Illness Multiplies and Drive-By Snatches Spike
The Hudson River Park Trust, in its annual report to the Trust’s Advisory Council, notes, “overall, crime in Hudson River Park is down across the board, including petty thefts, fights and assaults, and graffiti. We have, however, experienced an increase in disorderly or emotionally disturbed people in the park which required PEP [Parks Enforcement Patrol] interaction.”
In August, an emotionally disturbed person sleeping near the ramp to Little Island, “assaulted two PEP officers that approached him, both of whom were injured,” an HRPT representative said. The suspect fled, “but was apprehended by NYPD after assaulting an NYPD officer outside of the park two days later.”
In September, another emotionally disturbed person “harassed a member of HRPT’s horticulture staff, chasing him and throwing things at him as he cut the grass at Pier 62.” PEP officers detained the person for psychiatric evaluation.
Also in September, a female park visitor was the victim of an attempted sexual assault while sitting on a park bench near the LGBT Memorial, near West 12th Street. “Fortunately, the victim was able to resist the attack and quickly escape,” and HRPT representative noted, adding, “the perpetrator forcibly removed the victim’s cell phone and fled the park east across West Street at Bethune Street.” The woman ran to her nearby home and called 911. PEP and NYPD officers responded to the scene. HPRT security personnel supplied video footage taken in the vicinity of the attack, but no arrest has been made.
While crime overall is down, HRPT notes, there were four chain/bag snatches in August, two on the bikeway, one on the esplanade of Pier 84 (next to the bikeway), and one at the Circle Line garage. “In three of the incidents,” a Park spokesman relates, “perpetrators travelled on bicycles or motorized scooters snatching necklaces or bags as they drove by.”