Advocates report boom in crime at NYC parks

Parks advocates are reporting a spike in crime at city parks and say there are too few officers patrolling spots like Prospect Park.Crime in parks citywide has increased 24 percent, according to park

News 12 Staff

Aug 13, 2012, 10:16 PM

Updated 4,414 days ago

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Parks advocates are reporting a spike in crime at city parks and say there are too few officers patrolling spots like Prospect Park.Crime in parks citywide has increased 24 percent, according to park advocates. In Prospect Park, stats show there were 19 reported crimes in both 2009 and 2010 as opposed to 27 in 2011.Joe Puleo, vice president of Local 983, which represents park enforcement officers, says the staff has been reduced dramatically to the point where nobody was patrolling the park Monday.The Parks Department says the city's parks are safer than ever, so even a few crimes can appear as a deceptively large increase if viewed as a percentage. Park officials add that they work closely with the NYPD to ensure the safety of all visitors.