By Carol Tannenhauser
The Lincoln Convenience store was robbed for a second time in three days — and this time someone got shot.
At 4:20 AM on Monday, a group of four men entered Lincoln Convenience, at 2047 Broadway, between 70th and 71st Streets, to rob it, an NYPD detective told West Side Rag. “A friend of the employee working at the time attempted to intervene and was shot in the left foot,” the detective said. “The four suspects stole an undetermined amount of CBD oil and cash, and fled.”
The injured man was taken by EMS to Mt. Sinai Morningside hospital in stable condition.
Lincoln Convenience was robbed on Friday, also of CBD and cash. The two perpetrators in that robbery are also still at large.
“If they catch’em they’ll probably be out the next day,” the detective commented. “Welcome to Alvin Bragg’s New York City.”
Thanks to Joy for the tip.
Absolutely wild and insane. It is a small group of people who are terrorizing the city. They MUST be removed from society no matter what Progressive politicians will say about how it is systemically unjust to the criminals to put them away for their deeds. Please vote accordingly or the problem will only get worse. We are not in 1970s New York, but we are on the road there.
Way worse than the 70’S now! Not everyone had guns then. Police were not leaving the department in droves. Only difference is no cameras back then. Cameras do make it easier to catch certain perpetrators, but they are not a deterrent in any way.
@George: Well, no. Not even close. Even with the recent uptick in crime, violent crime rates are still down 75% from their peak in the “bad old days”. And guns were much easier to get back then than now. I honestly don’t have any data about rates of NYPD officers leaving the department, but I’d be interested in seeing the data that support your assertion that officers are leaving in “droves”.
Why is it acceptable and so common-place to post such nonsensical comments? Progressive politicians do not say that is systematically unjust to the criminal to put them away for their deeds! That is an absurd mischaracterization and not even remotely helpful. Progressive politicians (and almost ALL serious people) believe that a person is innocent until proven guilty but that upon conviction of a crime a person should be incarcerated for the appropriate amount of time. That’s it.
I don’t agree with your view but I don’t call it nonsensical and unacceptable to post. Censorship and acceptance of one point of view is killing our democracy already.
I can’t name a single progressive politician who is FOR incarceration. Progressives are for prison reform, i.e. the fewer people in prison the better. They keep squawking about closing Rikers and “restorative justice.”
Documentation, please. Your assertion doesn’t make it so.
https://www.nydailynews.com/news/politics/new-york-elections-government/ny-aoc-nyc-release-all-rikers-inmates-20210921-gmvialsacfdkbncymkexlthu3e-story.html
“Innocent until proven guilty” is a legal falsehood. You’re not “innocent” until proven guilty, you’re just “not-guilty” until proven guilty. The best way to describe it is if a perpetrator is caught on camera, red handed, committing a crime. That person is not an “innocent” person. That person just has not been convicted yet, but to say that individual is “innocent” is a misnomer.
Please stop changing the narrative. Those of us who are calling for stricter penalties and more law enforcement of course believe in innocent until proven guilty. That is a given. You are on the Upper West Side, not in Russia.
The problem is threefold:
1. Those who have clearly committed serious crimes and/or those who have repeatedly been convicted of crimes and are awaiting sentencing on their latest offense are routinely released to walk the streets until months from now when they will hopefully be tried. Judges should have more discretion on this. And please don’t start with this being racist. If you think judges are racist in their sentencing, vote for better judges.
2. There need to be more judges so that this process can happen more quickly.
3. Those who are found guilty (see? I’m with you on that!) should face serious penalties. Penalties should be determined by the severity of the crime and the number of offense the guilty has been found guilty of.
There needs to be a real deterrent for this type of behavior. Currently there is not one. How someone can deny that befuddles me. It is not a binary situation – we can enforce the law and penalize those who break the laws without throwing away our basic civil rights. Yes, occasionally the justice system breaks down and is too harsh, but right now we have swung way too far in the opposite direction.
Re: ““If they catch’em they’ll probably be out the next day,” the detective commented. “Welcome to Alvin Bragg’s New York City.”
Amen! Thank you, Officer, for speaking the truth. Hopefully you will NOT be reprimanded!
Seems wildly inappropriate for an officer to be making political statements while on the job…
Funny, I’ve never heard any cop express dissatisfaction or remorse for arrests of the wrong persons, or for the falsification of evidence by other cops (which we know has occurred & has lead to unwarranted convictions). The NY justice system has broken down far more often than “occasionally.” It’s in dire need of repair, & ending unconstitutional, pre-trial detention based on exorbitant bail is one step in the right direction. In the meantime, NYC cops should concern themselves with doing their job properly, instead of seeking to impede progress on criminal justice reform.
Well said.
Not to make light of the situation, but it is interesting that they robbed the store of CBD at 4:20.
Let’s put these bad guys away. Please vote in the upcoming election. Not just the Nadler/Maloney/Patel race but also the local races. Those are the people who can make a difference. That is how you can be part of the solution – no whining unless you are going to help solve the problem and that is how to do so.
Criminals are fearless now because they are not afraid of consequences. Again, I’m all for due process, innocent until proven guilty, etc. But once someone is clearly guilty, make them pay the price. It will get a criminal off the streets and make future offenders think twice.
Robberies downtown as well -this one in the East Village.
https://thevillagesun.com/armed-robbers-hit-new-east-village-smoke-shop-for-5-4k-just-days-after-its-opening
Last week it was “gun displayed”.
This week it’s “gun used”.
Welcome to the roaring decades of the 1970’s & 1980’s.
As has been repeatedly said, we’re nowhere near where we were in the 70s and 80s. We’re where we were around 2009, under Bloomberg. It’s possible to decry the crime rate without insane hyperbole.
Why is this store open at 4:20am ? (Which itself seems like an inside joke). Perhaps close at 10-11pm and the robberies stop.
Or they just happen earlier in the day. Having all-night commerce is actually a good way to deter crime.
This article isn’t accurate. This shop is notorious for selling weed. The second you walk in, they have three massive jars of weed as well as tons of other products behind the counter.
To say that they robbed it of cbd oil is comical.
There’s a group of young men who have started setting up shop on the stoop of a building on Amsterdam Ave in the mid ’90s every afternoon selling marijuana displayed on a folding table with a menu advertising relatively low prices. I’m not alleging that there’s a connection between the crime detailed in this article and these entrepreneures, but I do wonder where these guys, and the people doing the same in Washington Square Park, and all over the city, get their product.
Bingo! Let’s insist on enforcement of the strictures around selling weed, and watch these robberies diminish.
Josh is 100% correct. Critical fact that is overlooked and a key contributor to the problem. This place is illegally selling weed and not even trying to hide it! I did my own research and was given a free sample. With an elementary school around the corner no less. Attracts criminal element and makes the vicinity less safe.
I highly doubt anyone is out buying CBD oil at. 4am. Certainly fishy
“If they catch’em they’ll probably be out the next day,” the detective commented. “Welcome to Alvin Bragg’s New York City.”
I hope people realize how demoralized some officers of the NYPD must be to openly state this. I commend them for staying professional for as long as they have, but when your efforts are being subverted by those who are simultaneously asking you to place yourself in harms way, the system will only continue to break down.
Demoralized?? Sorry but NYPD need to do their jobs and find & arrest these criminals instead of whining about the DA
The officers have to risk their lives for what exactly? Upholding the law? When the law is not upheld by the DA?
Police officers have a job to do, which is not to make policy. If they can’t carry out their responsibilities, they should find another line of work. I’m sorry they’re “demoralized.” Millions of workers are demoralized – except they can’t take paid time off for therapy.
They aren’t robots. People need a purpose in their line of work. Despite what you make think many of them take pride in their job because they think that they can make streets safer for those who don’t live a life of crime. I would pretty demoralized too if I was constantly watching the criminals I caught walk free over and over again and continuously endanger law abiding citizens.
Maybe they shouldn’t take petty work actions and do the job they signed up for. The increase in illegal plates and other offenses are directly related to cops not performing their duties because we don’t praise them enough. The hurt feelings nonsense is juvenile.
While agreeing with the intentions of criminal justice reform, there are significant flaws in the new “system” – including that there are no services for people who need mental health, substance abuse services, are homeless etc.
At the same time, the City continues work to close Rikers and build 4 borough jails – incredibly expensive and flawed; a logistical nightmare; community destroying.
Huge mistake.
The City should: 1) build therapeutic residential facilities on Rikers to serve pre-trial individuals who don’t “need” to be “detained” and 2) rebuild Rikers as a humane therapeutic secure.
Broadway between 70th and 71st Streets is notoriously garbage strewn and overcrowded. There are homeless there as well. Many of my friends won’t walk down that street even before the shootings. I feel sorry for the pizza place which has very good pizza and the other stores. These “convenience stores” are not good for the neighborhood and are right next to a grade school and high schools. Except for when the high school lets out I practically never see a cop there. How about putting cops on the beat between Broadway and West 70th street and W. 72nd Street which is also full of homeless by Trader Joes. Where are the police? And why is this store open all night?
Homeless people*
As I mentioned in the previous article – these shops are extremely bad for our community. Not only they sell illegal products, sell to underage, they also attract criminals. I got criticized by fellow UWSers only 2 days ago for saying the same, but here you go again.
This is NOT to justify these criminals. I would be surprised if the criminals (4 teenagers according to some sources) , will face no or little consequences. The fact our soft on crime politicians encourage this behavior is also a huge problem. But also is the presence of such shops.
I find it ironic that NYT recently talked about how reporting is making the crime spree look worse than it is. Except it really is bad and NYT is just choosing to ignore it.
Kudos to that NYPD detective for speaking up. We’re in real danger of not having a full police force soon; they are so fed up that they are starting to retire without their pensions. Unfortunately we can’t recall our DA like San Francisco, we need Hochul to fire him herself
To your point, I’m a lifelong Democrat who has lived on the UWS for over 30 years,, and I’m horrified that I’ve found myself considering voting for Zeldin (who stands for almost everything I’m against) because I’m sure that HE will fire Bragg, while Hochul really doesn’t seem to give much of a crap about what is happening here in NYC.
Same here. I’m voting for him too even though I’m a Democrat. Hochul has to go.
That police officers aren’t even sticking around for their full pensions is a huge huge story.
Agreed! WSR could you cover that? See how the 20th and 24th precincts compare?
4:20 couldn’t have been a coincidence. That’s a great little shop with really nice kids working there. I hope they get some armed security.
This isn’t the main takeaway, but these weed shops shouldn’t be allowed. I hope they close it down.
How about community pressure?
This stretch of Amsterdam between 70th and 71st is full of homeless and pot smokers and PS199 is practically steps away. I tell my son not to walk by this area. It’s a shame the neighborhood has gone downhill so quickly.
It used to be a perfectly nice block too – Wells Fargo, Paris Baguette, Pinkberry, Starbucks, Pokebab, Little Italy… I miss it.
I miss the entire NYC of pre-DeBlasio era
What’s the evidence that someone who shoots someone will be released the next day in Manhattan? A detective’s comment isn’t evidence. If a suspect is caught having used a gun, what typically happens? Perhaps the West Side Rag could dig a bit deeper rather than just quoting an anonymous detective.
The store is near me. There are security cameras on 71st. The detectives were checking our security cameras. Since someone was shot, they will be found and prosecuted. I was here in seventies too – same old.
“If they catch’em they’ll probably be out the next day,” the detective commented. “Welcome to Alvin Bragg’s New York City.” — This really says it all. Where is the commenter who wrote last week that no guns were used “this time” — how right you were, only a matter of time, in this case, 3 days. So sad what has become of this city.
The block that the Convenience store/head shop is on, is truly an eye sore.
It is always filthy and littered with trash. It looks as if the sidewalk in front
of the shops have never been swept or washed. There is always the smell of
pot and urine somewhere on this street.
The block has truly become a gathering ground for many low-life’s, homeless
and beggars.
There is a pizza place next door. It ties up a large portion of the street .
If it were only tables for eating, and they were kept clean ?
That would be great!!
But it’s not!!
In addition, the pizza delivery men keep there
bikes on the sidewalk and take up more space than the tables.
Can you believe that I have counted over 35 bikes left on the street blocking pedestrians sometimes!?
It is truly an awful block with no police presence.
CAN ANYTHING BE DONE??
Sounds like the west side of Broadway between 110th and 111th streets. Panhandling, homeless encampment, zombie scaffolding, permanent fruit stand, delivery bikes chained to said scaffolding….and we’re supposed to get to the downtown local train on the corner through all this. I’ve lived in NYC for 40 years and the quality-of-life issues apparently can’t or won’t be addressed by our elected officials. Oh and then there’s the rats and garbage everywhere.
What’s wrong with fruit stands?
Open at 4AM? Maybe they really are a convenience store.
Get security guys. At least keep the door locked overnight and buzz people in.
The detective is incorrect—they’ll be out the SAME day. This is what you get for voting strictly with a party instead of looking at the issues. The UWS should be learning a painful lesson from voting strictly party lines.
Maybe when they are caught they should get a mandatory two years sentence in a upstate rock quarry breaking rock with no plea bargaining. That should straighten their life’s direction. Time to take the gloves off and get this city back on track. Also I’m a liberal.
Ok, I’ve never been in that store, and I agree that is a stretch of sidewalk one might prefer to avoid when possible. However, we do need to have some sort of shop open at all hours, cause you never know when you’ll need something. And yes, I have a ton of health issues, do a REALLY good job at being prepared, but the infrastructure around here is often fragile….. there are just several reasons why we need a place with a few things for purchase til maybe a full drugstore/groc can be accessed the next day.
That ought to be plenty do-able in NYC!
I don’t even care if they keep the door locked during overnight hours and make me show an ID to come in. AND have an armed guard.
We law-abiders shouldn’t be penalized for what the criminals are doing. That’s bass-awkwards!
So, a store that illegally sells marijuana 24 hours a day for cash-only gets robbed after 4am, and somehow that’s Alvin Bragg’s fault? Do you think your readers are as stupid and weak as NY Post readers? Good luck with that.
Again, close to McDonald’s
Let’s end this social experiment already; do the crime, get caught: DO THE TIME!!
Failed liberal policies— New Yorkers never learn their lesson. I met a Social Worker in San Francisco, she works with the homeless there. She said that she heard that New York City was cleaned up after the 80s, and I said no, it was the 90s. And she asked me how did it happen? I said we voted for a prosecutor, he put everyone in jail, he didn’t care if you were loitering, smoking a joint, sleeping in the park, cleaning windshields by the tunnel when cars come out, arrest everyone over and over and over. And she said what happened? I said it worked. They either cleaned off or left back home to whatever state they were from. After that he targeted the sex districts and problematic areas, and she said that sounds horrible, and I said yes, there is no nice way to fix it once you let it rot to the core. And then she said what’s happening now I heard it was bad again, I said the same exact mistakes are being made. But they’re growing tired, they will elect someone to clean it up again, it’s just tragic after Bloomberg, it’s just unbelievable that we are back to this urban decay and lawlessness was actually worse than the 80s because at least in the 80s the police responded, we know they are not doing anything, it’s perfectly obvious, the reason there’s posters everywhere for wanted man it’s because they are not being caught
I hope the building at 201 W 70 is happy with their new” CBD” renters. So nice for the neighborhood. Bet the new people at 200 Amsterdam love the convenience.
I read with interest this article but was disappointed by the closing sentence: ““If they catch’ em they’ll probably be out the next day,” the detective commented. “Welcome to Alvin Bragg’s New York City.”
I have no doubt the detective said that but what’s the point of including a gratuitous comment like that, by an unnamed detective, with no response from District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s office, and in the absence of any evidence that the DA’s office would in fact quickly release a suspect who had just shot someone?
Comments like that by police officers are all too common, typically when referring to a “progressive” DA whose reputation and policies they dislike. They are sometimes true and often not – and sometimes serve merely to distract attention from the failures of police to identify and arrest people who have committed serious crimes.
I LOVE this convenience store. The employees are the sweetest, kindest, best people I’ve ever met. This is so messed up.
always problems on this seedy block. dealing. stealing. begging. you name it