The Streets Where We Live

Crime Dropping in Upper Manhattan, Precinct Captain Says

Captain Jose Navarro said that crime was beginning to drop from a rise felt in October, due to an increase of 60 temporary police officers assigned to the area. (Flickr/Jag9889)

 

UPPER MANHATTAN — An influx of 60 temporary police officers targeted to the lower portion of the 34th Precinct has helped reduce crime in Upper Manhattan, police said Wednesday night.

"For the first time in weeks we are seeing a decrease in crime," Captain Jose Navarro of the 34th Precinct said during a Community Board 12 public safety meeting.

Take a closer look at the statistics at DNAinfo.com.

Guardian Angels to Give Self-Defense Training to Inwood Moms

The Guardian Angels plan to provide a free self-defense class to Inwood women on Friday, Dec. 3. (Spencer Platt/Getty Images)

 

INWOOD — Women are preparing to take a free self-defense class provided by the Guardian Angels on Friday evening, after rising concerns about public safety in Upper Manhattan.

The citizen patrol group offered the class to a group of women in the area who expressed interest in learning self-defense after a mother was mugged in Inwood Hill Park while walking with her 17-month-old child in early November.

Read more about the class at DNAinfo.com.

Upper Manhattan Residents Cope With Car Break-Ins

INWOOD — When Debra Wilkins parked her car on Park Terrace West the Friday after Thanksgiving Day, the last thing she expected was to find the windows of her 2005 Pathfinder smashed the next morning.

But someone broke into her car, which was parked on the winding and dark stretch between Isham and 215th streets, during the early morning, leaving shattered glass inside the vehicle and scattered on the ground.

"Thank god I didn’t come earlier," said the visibly shaken Wilkins as she surveyed the damage. "They could have been here."

Wilkins, who lived in Inwood for more than 10 years, but now lives in New Jersey, didn't notice anything stolen.

"Why would somebody do this?" she said. "This is why I don't want to drive to the city anymore."

Read more about the break-ins at DNAinfo.com.

WaHi Man Fends Off Muggers Trying to Steal His iPad, Police Say

WASHINGTON HEIGHTS — A man fought off two muggers who tried to snatch his iPad on Bennett Avenue last week, police said, the latest incident in a Upper Manhattan crime spike that has sent dozens of cops into the area and inspired residents to consider patrolling their own streets.

Bennett Avenue has been a hotspot for crime in recent weeks, particularly robberies. So much so that when the NYPD dispatched 60 extra officers to the neighborhood precinct in October, they beefed up patrols on the stretch as well.

But the extra manpower wasn't enough to deter two muggers who jumped a man for his iPad the night before Thanksgiving.

Read more about the attack at DNAinfo.com.

Police Find Gun, Cocaine and $30K in Cash Hidden in Secret Compartment in Car

UPPER MANHATTAN — NYPD officers hit the jackpot Thursday night when they found a not-so-secret hidden compartment stuffed with cash, a gun and drugs inside a vehicle in Washington Heights, police sources said.

Read more about the bust at DNAinfo.com. 

George Washington Bridge Guard Reportedly Fired for Failing to Stop Suicide

Photo credit: Worldislandinfo.com

WASHINGTON HEIGHTS — A guard on the George Washington Bridge was fired Tuesday after failing to stop a 19-year-old from attempting suicide  Monday night, according to the Daily News.

Angel Laboy was accused of negligence for not noticing that a college student had walked passed his booth and climbed to the top of the bridge in an attempt to jump 600 feet into the water, the paper said.

Police coaxed the boy to safety from his perch after receiving a call from his friend’s family who said he was on the bridge contemplating suicide, reported the News.

Read more at DNAinfo.com. 

Inwood Residents Take to Twitter to Restart Safety Patrols Amid Rising Crime

INWOOD — A group of residents who use Twitter to organize safety patrols in the neighborhood are looking for new volunteers to hit Inwood streets after a mother was mugged with her her 17-month-old child.

Crime has been on the rise in Inwood in recent weeks, but the mugging in Inwood Hill Park pushed the Inwood Safety Patrol to make definite plans to patrol again.

"Hey Inwood..I would like to start the #InwoodSafetyPatrol again," tweeted the patrol’s founder, Inwood resident Angel Figueroa on Thursday "This can only succeed with your help & volunteerism.”

Read more about the safety patrol at DNAinfo.com.

Mother Mugged While Walking With Baby in Inwood Hill Park

INWOOD — A mother walking with her 17-month-old baby was mugged while walking through Inwood Hill Park at approximately 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday night, police said.

The victim was walking on the path between the Indian Road playground and the baseball fields when she was approached by two approximately 16-year-old boys who demanded she give them all she had, according to police.

One of the teens said he had a gun while motioning under his sweatshirt, police said. The woman said she handed over her wallet with credit cards and no cash.

Read more at DNAinfo.com. 

Washington Heights Scoops Prize for Most Dog Dirt Strewn Streets

By Adam Nichols

DNAinfo News Editor

Washington Heights — Watch where you're stepping in Washington Heights.

The neighborhood is the worst in Manhattan for dog poop strewn pavements and parks, according to Sanitation Department figures published by the New York Post.

Read more about the poo problem in Washington Heights at DNAinfo.com. 

Stalled WaHi Construction Plan Leaves Hole in the Ground and Lawsuit in its Wake

WASHINGTON HEIGHTS — At the height of the real estate boom, a 60-foot high sheet of bedrock was jackhammered away to make room for a 23-story luxury condominium development in Hudson Heights to be called "One Bennett Park."

But more than two years later, all that remains at 33-55 Overlook Terrace is a hole in the ground, a lawsuit, and a displaced congregation from the local Jewish center.    

Read more at DNAinfo.com.