By Carol Tannenhauser
Two robberies took place in the neighborhood within an hour Monday night, an NYPD spokesperson told West Side Rag.
At 9:40 p.m., a 23-year-old woman was “riding northbound on a 3 train at West 72nd Street and Broadway,” when an unknown and unprovoked woman punched her with a closed fist in the face, snatching her cell phone, which she carried in a case with her license, the spokesperson said. (“It’s not a good idea to carry them together,” she added. “You lose everything.”) The perpetrator took off through the train. The victim refused medical attention.
The New York Post reported that after the incident, the young woman called her mom. “I was like, ‘Hey, I’m with the police, someone took my phone and kind of attacked me,’” the straphanger said. “She was like, ‘Oh, my God!’ She was freaked out, but my dad was calm. I was like, ‘Don’t make me move back home!’”
At 10:39 p.m., six blocks south on West End Avenue and West 66th Street, “a 20-year-old man was approached by a man on a scooter, who said, ‘I like your coat,'” the spokesperson explained. “The perp then displayed a silver gun in his waistband, and the victim willingly handed over his jacket and backpack.” The perp fled in an unknown direction.
The investigations are ongoing.
when bad people attack us, what are our options?
Not Harlem. Not above 96th street. Not the Douglass Houses. This is the heart of the progressive UWS. Scared yet?
Nope.
No.
Plainly, this sucks. Robberies aren’t just the taking of material goods, but also the taking of an individual’s feeling of safety. I would really like to see these crimes addressed. That said, your comment is just goofy scaremongering. Unfortunately, sometimes robberies happen in every neighborhood of every city. And not just cities– suburbs and rural areas aren’t immune either. Yes, we all want to invest in a happier, healthier, *safer* UWS (and NYC more broadly!), but two robberies does not a wave of fear justify. Sorry, my guy.
Most of my friends who were mugged growing up were mugged around 86th street and Amsterdam so, I’m not sure what your consternation is about.
Will, it is called thinly veiled racism.
I really enjoy all the “growing up” and “1980s were worse” deflections. How about recent memory? Say, THE LAST TWENTY YEARS.
please keep reporting these crimes in real time
“The perp fled in an unknown direction”
How many directions are there that the perp was able to flee in an “unknown” one??
Nobody saw which way he went.
I got robbed at church on christmas eve. My coat, my pocketbook I turned to say hello for ONE minute, gone. had to cancel my upcoming trip to see my mother in florida b/c I could not replace my drivers license in time. in 2020 my apartment got robbed. just before that, I was mugged on west 104th street between bway and west end. 15 years ago I was robbed of my phone waiting for the bus to go to the yankees game. But what’s going on now – much worse.
Well few people voted. And those that did chose Mayor Bait and Switch and a DA who does not believe in the law. You get what you vote for.
I’m not his biggest fan but I think Adams is doing more about this than any of the other viable candidates would have.
Anti-crime units may help .OOPS I said it.
Per the 24th Precinct’s Twitter account, on 2/6 late PM a victim had their phone forcibly stolen on 99th and Broadway.
Sad.
Too much of this.
And when was the last time anyone saw a cop on 66th and WEA? The Blasio legacy continues. I have started looking for places in Florida. Enough is enough. Adams will disappoint. How can he not with our City Council and airhead Governor?
You know you don’t have to announce your departure for Florida, right? You can just go.
Here we go again with another fogey making an idle threat to leave the city—for Florida, no less.
I used to take the train at night. My twenty-something kids, too. No longer.
There were maybe 5 officers on the 72nd street platform this morning. Not sure if it’s related or not. But they were all just together, chatting at the north end, so it wasn’t really much of anything.
“Willingly” might not be quite the word to describe how the victim handed over her coat to the robber after he displayed a gun. “Reluctantly,” or “without resistance” might be more apt.
Good point.
When I was younger, folks above retirement age (which used to be 65) would just move to Florida anyway…because they wanted to.
It’s warm, the early bird special at the Rascal House was great and the shuffleboard games were fantastic.:)
Now we get threatened that if we don’t clean up our act (vote Republican?) they are going to go out of spite or something.
The difference now is that people younger than 65 are moving there in greater numbers than before.
I actually carry a second cheap phone, in the event I am ever held up for my phone. Would never use my real phone without a lot of other people around. And never ever carry more than a minimal amount of cash.
I really believe some of the biggest masochists’ on earth live on the UWS. People would rather carry small change and use a cheap phone and not wear jewelry than to fight back!! And I’m not necessarily talking about becoming Rambo. People can fight back at the ballot box. But instead, they just keep on voting for Democrats who support everyone but law-abiding, tax-paying citizens. Bragg is a horror show. Adams speaks out of both sides of his mouth. So does Hochul. Remember what the definition of insanity is……….
TRUE. I have heard more people say “I will only vote Democrat” over the years and IT IS PATHETIC. The Republican contender for the Manhattan DA, Thomas Kenniff, was level-headed, had been a prosecutor, a defense attorney and was fair and everyone avoided voting for him because of an (R) next to his name. Did anyone even read up on what he stood for or did everyone just vote for Bragg for the (D) next to his name. VOTE for the person, not the party and WAKE UP. Stop voting blindly just because of a (D) next to their names.
Renewing my weekly call to do everyone a mental favor (consciously or unconsciously) and delete the comment section. You will also be doing a physical favor for most posters, giving them more time in their day away from fighting on the internet or bristling with rage at their screens.
Sometimes it is possible to learn new info in the comment section though.
It’s not the fault of the police. But I imagine if more of them (a handful? Two? One?) we’re walking a beat, it wouldn’t hurt.
What’s with their staying in their cars?
Did that “just happen”? Part of a “policy”? Evidence of a slowdown rooted in resentment? It would be good to know.
You are right that cops should be walking a beat, not standing around in groups looking at their phones or schmoozing with each other.
Keep voting for the liberal Democrat with the progressive ideas! Anyone who’s familiar with New York City politics, shouldn’t be surprised. Bail reform, while intentions were good, it wasn’t thought out properly and just rushed to the un-informed voter. And still, currently no politician has made an effort to lead the charge to repeal that law!!
The rarely see police. When I do, they are always looking in their cell phones.
Agreed: Staring at their phones, oblivious to the world around them…. Just like many of the people who are being mugged…
Point being, be aware of your surroundings, don’t make yourself an easy victim.
It would be productive for the NYPD to have (and enforce) a policy on phone use.
And to be fair, some officers are consistently vigilant of their surroundings and even engage with the community.