For many residents of upper Manhattan, crime is out of control.
“Every so often I come and they tell me ‘No, they killed one in Dyckman, they killed one in 207, they removed the chain,'” said a neighbor.
And that’s the concern of many uptown Manhattanites who in the past year have seen an increase in shootings and robberies on a large and small scale.
“When you go out into the street, you go out in fear,” added another neighbor.
“Because the sale of drugs has increased, the proliferation of weapons,” said another neighbor.
And according to the latest data from the NYPD, crime in the area of police headquarters 34 and shootings have increased by 400 percent and so far this year, murders have increased by 80 percent compared to last year.
Also, this month alone, physical assaults have increased by 40 percent. Vehicle thefts by 60 percent.
“If they see the police, the presence, they refrain from not doing what they are going to be, the criminals,” said another neighbor.
Assemblywoman Carmen de la Rosa admits that the situation has worsened.
“I think we have to have a plan of attack that also includes ending, eliminating the route of illegal weapons to our community,” de la Rosa said.
De la Rosa says he will seek to bring more resources to invest in programs for the youth of the area.
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