Thefts within the metropolis’s transit system have shot up almost 90% to date this 12 months, cops mentioned Tuesday — the identical day they introduced busting an alleged serial subway pickpocket, solely to observe him freed by a decide.
Grand larcenies on Large Apple subways and buses have jumped 88.9% – from 342 to 646 incidents – 12 months so far in comparison with the identical interval in 2022, the troubling new statistics present.
General main transit crime — together with rapes, robberies and felony assaults — elevated 52% in the identical interval, mirroring the town’s basic pattern, in line with information launched Monday.
The dismal figures come as police crowed on Twitter on Tuesday that they busted accused serial pickpocket Dedrick Williams, 53, a day earlier for committing three extra grand larcenies within the transit system.
“Caught & arrested once more!” the NYPD tweeted. “Yesterday, @NYPDTransit Public Security officers arrested a recognized pickpocket recidivist. That is the person’s eleventh Grand Larceny arrest this 12 months alone. Our officers will stay resilient in addressing subway crimes & our dedication is unwavering.”
However whereas the Manhattan District Lawyer’s Workplace really useful bail at $30,000 money for Williams, however a decide let him out on supervised launch, officers mentioned.
The suspect, who lives on East 182nd Avenue, has a complete of 20 arrests on his report since 2004, a police supply mentioned. Nearly all of the arrests had been for crimes in transit, the supply mentioned.
“He steals wallets and makes use of the bank cards if there are any,” a police spokeswoman mentioned of Williams. “In these previous three [cases], he used the victims’ bank cards.”
Williams allegedly stole a girl’s pockets from her backpack whereas aboard a No. 6 subway in Manhattan at 8:45 a.m. on July 18, cops mentioned. The lady instructed police “she felt a tugging and pushing on her backpack,” cops mentioned in court docket paperwork. The lady noticed the reflection of the thief within the subway door and described him to police, who had been capable of finding surveillance video of the person, cops mentioned.
The following day, round 8 a.m. at West forty second Avenue and Broadway in Occasions Sq., a girl felt a tugging on her backpack as she walked down the steps to the southbound N platform, she instructed cops. When she appeared in her backpack later, she found her pockets was lacking together with 5 bank cards.
The robber charged $130.75 on one of many playing cards for a MetroCard buy, cops mentioned. The detective reviewed surveillance video and located the suspect was the identical man as within the first case, authorities mentioned.
Once they arrested Williams on Aug. 8 round 8:30 a.m. for the 2 crimes, police recovered a California driver’s license that belonged to a 3rd one that was robbed, court docket paperwork present.
Williams was charged with grand larceny, prison possession of stolen property and identification theft within the incidents, cops mentioned
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