By Carol Tannenhauser
A 31-year-old woman standing near 77th Street and Amsterdam Avenue was robbed at gunpoint on Tuesday at around 5:50 p.m., police told WSR. “The woman stated that a man approached her, displayed a firearm, and removed $150 from her person. He fled northbound on Amsterdam. There were no injuries and no one is in custody,” the officer said.
This was the second armed robbery in the neighborhood this week. El Gallo Taqueria, on Amsterdam Avenue between 84th and 85th Streets, was robbed at gunpoint Sunday night at 11:45 p.m., according to police. In that case, $119 was taken from the register and the suspect also swiped the tip jar with an unknown amount of money inside.
WSR asked the officer if the two cases were related. She couldn’t answer, but did indicate that it is up to the detectives to determine when there is a pattern.
In neither case was a description given.
I don’t understand I always read from smart people on here that the stats say that crime is going down and it is not nearly as bad as the 1970’s. I’m so confused.
It is meaningless to make comparisons or rely on crime stats. For the past several years, police have refused to file police reports or to take action when I, my family, my friends, and my neighbors have contacted or informed the police of crimes. If they do take the report, the downgrade the crime or they check the box indicating that the victim refuses to prosecute, without ever asking the victim. This is happening not only on the UWS but also in multiple boroughs.
Using the crime statistics of 1980s as a “baseline” whereby anything less should be deemed OK is ridiculous. The level of violent crime then was unacceptable, as is the escalating crime rate today.
I have been living on the UWS since 1963 and where we are now is very reminiscent of the slippery slope we were starting down in the late 1960s.
I’m not sure who told you crime is going down (it’s not, at least not in the short term), but it’s a fact that NYC crime rates are much lower than they were are their peak around 1989 or 1990. Most categories of crime are down 75% or more from their peak back then. What _is_ different is that we didn’t have the Internet or 24-hour news outlets back then.
We have 2022 now, and comparing stats to the 80’s is just silly. Who cares about this in the 80’s. Most people did not live here in the 80’s. This city has evolved on so many levels, so did other cities. We should not expect to be happy because it is not as bad as in the 70’s. I moved here 7 years ago and am shocked how life has changed here only in a few years. We should compare to pre-pandemic levels, not the 80’s. And it has gotten really bad. Stats support that too.
Except a lot of us HAVE lived here since the 80s and earlier. And yeah. There is no comparison to 1990 levels of crime but it is up compared to 5 years ago.
Very insightful and true David. Wish more people realized how the media is contributing to fear-mongering.
You know who else is contributing to fear mongering?
Muggers, gunmen, subway assaulters, and others who threaten the safety of our neighborhood.
Hi WSR,
Could you, please, follow up with the 20th precinct regarding the official crimes stats they currently have? As well if they say it is down, down to compare to what year/month?
Very appreciated.
Hi Jen,
The 20th precinct website has current statistics by category as well as comparison with prior years here is the link https://www1.nyc.gov/site/nypd/bureaus/patrol/precincts/20th-precinct.page
WSR does attend the precinct community meetings for updates. The next one is scheduled for April 28th at the precinct.
Thank you!
This is useless, worthless news that just gets people more scared. If media does not have the guts to describe the perp due to wokeness or some other bologna so we can help find the perp, then why bother giving us “half” the news.
Dear The Truth
WE DO NOT HAVE A DESCRIPTION, we provide all the information the police provide to us. We noted that in the article!!
5:50 pm. 77th and Amsterdam. Held up at gunpoint.
The “Media” did not contribute to that happening and that is not fearmongering.
It happened.
Anyone else find it interesting that West Side Rag does not report description of the suspect. It’s ok, we know know how to read between the lines.
You’re racist and prejudiced.
A bigot and most likely a Trump supporter.
It’s quite obvious….!
WSR, you screen comments but decided to post a personal insult?
Ira,
Read our response to “The Truth” and read the article. There is only empty space between the lines, what is your point !
Whether crime stats are up or down, the issue is that a woman was robbed at gun point in broad daylight. What is going to be done about egregious crime? What is the Adams administration and the NYPD. Going to do to make the city safer?
2022 has had an onslaught of murders, axe attacks, hammer attacks, subway murders by pushing people into trains, and attacks by homeless on drugs. This never happened before on the scale it is happening now.
Pattern or not, it is very concerning what is happening. It’s definitely time to get more police presence on the streets–aa well as in the subways. If we have to hire more cops, we
need to do this. If this keeps up we are going to see more people leaving the city, more stores closing and tourism, real estate and the vibrancy and resilience of NY taking a huge hit. Families have enough to worry about these days without street robberies in plain sight in our neighborhoods. Enough with the talk..time for important actions right now.
Great idea – hire more cops. Just today I saw 4 cops standing around on a mezzanine in the Times Square station – no masks on three of them – just chatting and one was checking her cell phone. Boy, I’ll bet the lowlifes are quaking in their boots. And I see this all the time.
Scary. But Mayor Adams and Commissioner Sewell say it’s just a ‘perception’ problem. Perhaps we need to change our perception. Meanwhile, I’m carrying $40 and a dummy phone in case my perception morphs into a gun in my face. At least the weather is improving. That I can perceive without official mediation.
Agree with Barb. And way more guns now for teens out for some quick cash.
Lulu
Another option is to leave town.
Beyond the absolutely disturbing quality of entitlement or something displayed by a criminal who pulls this on a populated street during daylight hours, I also find it disturbing the police did not provide a description. Why?
And the victim….. is she now possibly wondering, “Why me?” after such a scenario?
What about other passersby? No one else saw or said anything?
Sometimes it seems as though there are 25 cops on a scene and other times, not found at all when needed. Sigh.
Once again each pct need an anti-crime team. These are just pct cops in civilian clothes. They were very effective years ago.
Take it from someone who knows.
I always carry a fake purse and my cash in my pockets. I’ve been here since the 70s. So leftover habits! We used to walk down the MIDDLE of side streets back then— definitely gotten better. I moved out for 18 years mid 80s to mid 2000s— I think it’s cuckoo to try to raise a family here (I have 4 kids), but as you get “old” the city is the best place to be! People who say people will leave NYC don’t have a clue— I’ve lived all over the US— they will be back. You can’t replicate Manhattan— for better OR worse— true nyers know that. No one likes crime, but we’re not moving to Omaha…
Actually, it’s not much of a sacrifice. The fact remains that among America’s large cities, we’re a relatively low crime city.
Indeed, speaking of the places we’re “supposed” to flee to, FBI data shows that every major city in Florida and Texas has higher crime rates than we do (and CDC data shows far higher death rates from motor vehicle use there than here).
Paul you’re so right. I like the crime, I think it adds character to the city. I can’t wait to get assaulted, hospitals give great drugs for pain.
Ain’t that the truth.
Note that this is a very busy intersection, that includes a school/public playground (I know that school is out this week but that playground still always has lots of kids – my kids are there all the time). So this was not in a dark alley somewhere. And it was at 5:50 pm, not 2 am.
Criminals have absolutely no fear. If we increase the consequences of being found guilty of such offenses, perhaps they will be less likely to happen.
Thanks to WSR for covering this.
To all the people who say reporting crime is fear mongering. So is reporting Covid stats. We all know if something isn’t reported, it’s not happening. Mr? I’m planning on never reading a newspaper again so I can help decrease the crime and covid waves. Both will be gone in no time. Thank me later.
Even if it was the same person robbing, what difference does it make? Sadly we hear about people committing murder who have a huge rap sheet of dozens of crimes and they get released every time. I walked by that spot on Amsterdam and 77th 10 minutes prior to the lady being robbed. How traumatizing. I’m so sad this happened. And please call your local assembly men and women to keep us safer!!!
This is the world all you defunders wanted.
Enjoy!
Great! And we managed to do it without one penny of defunding!
To all those who want to support the Republican party in the misguided belief that it will be tougher on crime: check out the pending Supreme Court case “New York State Rifle & Pistol Association v. Bruen” which in all likelihood see New York’s ability to keep guns off the street severekly limited. And guess which party is responsible for the 5 or 6 justices who will vote that way? Of course, then we can all start carrying guns – will you really feel safer knowing that?
The idea that the Second Amendment gives us the right to carry a handgun walking down Amsterdam Avenue is ludicrous. No “original intent” in that.
Wouldn’t a description help everyone in case they see someone matching. Was he white, Black, Asian, or Hispanic?
Approximately how old and tall was he, what was he wearing.
Is there a sketch?
That would help everyone to know. Why keep it a secret. Rather than a “man approached her” I’m sure the police got a pretty good description from the victim.
the NYPost has a pinch more info. That the woman was working at a taco stand and that the perp was 6’2
That’s significant info, in that she was presumably in an enclosed space (so more vulnerable) and a target (because assumed to have cash on hand). This morning, the taco cart is there, and a squad car with lights flashing right next to it.
There are lots of factors that are contributing to the increased rates of crime in our neighbor hoods. The Ammerican public owns 400 million guns (that’s more than one person), No other society matches this horrific statistic. Many socio economic factors, including homelessness, poverty, mental illness and other factors such as the consequences of the Covid pandemic, mental illness, racial, political and civil unrest have contributed to the national epidemic of violence we are seeing in America’s urban centers. The NYPD is in the forefront of trying to interdict this problem in numerous ways to serve the diverse communities it serves. “Stop and Frisk” is long gone and has been replaced by an effective series of phases when officers happen upon or are called to a crime scene or potential crime scene. Tall officers receive intense training on how to engage the public, including those with mental illness, to protect their Constitutional rights and also to enable the police to do their jobs and protect themselves. In doing so, the police have removed many guns from the streets and in 2020 made over 40,000 arrests while using only that level of force that is required in the cir stances to protect the public, themselves and to apprehend the suspects of criminal activity. Their daily success are drowned out by the publicity of the few horrific instances involving violence. In 2020, officers discharge their pistols only 43 times out of the 6,158 instances in which any level of the use of force was applied;ied. They have acted with appropriate restrain and professionalism and don’t get enough credit for that. During Covid times in 2020, there were over 5,500 daily calls to 911. Not all called for a police response but many did as there were over 95,000 reported crimes Citywide. none of this is to say that we don’t have serious crime happening that needs to be addressed and deterred. Part of the problem is attributed to how our District Attorneys decide if and what to charge as crimes and how to handle to heavy caseloads of their assistants. Public pressure has resulted in at least the Manhattan DA to revise his previously published lenient policies and procedures and our law makers here in the City and in Albany have begun to address the need for revisions to our recently enacted Bail Reform Act to prevent violent criminals, especially withahistory of similar crimes, from returning to our streets after being released without bail. More needs to be done and the public needs to demand greater accountability from our legislative officials to make this happen. This is not your grandfather’s or even your father’s NYPD, it is a highly trained, gender and racially diverse corps of competent professionals committed to making our lives more safe and to providing quality service to us, the people they serve. But, we must help them do their work by trusting and cooperating with them by reporting crime and their willingness to provide detailed descriptions of the perpetrators of crime to enable the police to capture the criminals. If you are not doing that, don’t blame the police if that same perpetrator is menacing your family and other member of your community.
Lucky for me, my iPhone gets access to the greater-than-100-words-comment-format of the Rag. [big wink]
A few more details would be helpful — was she standing near the JCC? The 2 playgrounds on 77th? Under scaffolding at Dunkin Donuts/Chirping Chicken/Tessa? Some places are more visible than others.
Also, wasn’t that the night of torrential rains? I think it started pouring well after 5:50, though.
Just asking b/c this one is extremely close to home.
Thanks. Keep bringing us this news because no one else does.
Someone upstream said that the Post reported that she was in the taco cart at 77/Amsterdam. Which makes it seem not quite as random: she was in an enclosed space, so more vulnerable, and she presumably had a lot of cash on hand.
Suppose we leave the 70s and 80s where they are: in the past. I think we could all agree that moving backwards is bad, regardless. And if crime is rising, we’re moving backwards. It’s truly sad that we can’t even feel safe in broad daylight.
Was here in the 80s and am dizzy from the deja vue. I’m a liberal who cannot help but see a residual effect from the influx of homeless and/or disturbed men settled here during the pandemic and seem to have become pretty comfortable in the hood.
Enough with the stats. What are the closed and solved cases? What are the “catch and release” figures? And enough with the wokeness. If the perp is white, black, asian, or whatever, having that info certainly would narrow the suspect pool.
crime and bail reform report below
https://www1.nyc.gov/site/nypd/stats/crime-statistics/borough-and-precinct-crime-stats.page
https://compstat.nypdonline.org/2e5c3f4b-85c1-4635-83c6-22b27fe7c75c/view/90
https://www1.nyc.gov/site/nypd/stats/reports-analysis/crime-enf.page
https://comptroller.nyc.gov/reports/nyc-bail-trends-since-2019/
Reading the comments on this post is as unfortunate as the crime…
Thanks WSR for the info and update.