Crime Causes Fear in Upper Manhattan

Juana Gomez  is concerned, like many residents of Washington Heights and Inwood,  that the police are not doing enough to tackle the uptick in crime. “ With the recent increase in robberies in the area, I feel a little scared because I always think that I could be the next victim,” she said.

The rise in crime since the pandemic has made the residents of Upper Manhattan more aware of what is going on around them. In December 2022, the 34^th Precinct recorded 1,564 crimes in the seven major crime categories, a 12.68 percent increase from the same time in 2021. “ I believe that the police is working, but they are not doing enough, ” Gomez said.

An ordinary rainy day in Washington Heights. Photo by Hector Santana.

Anxiety about crime in the neighborhood and elsewhere in New York City  has become a problem almost as real as the crimes committed.  Janice Johnson Dias, A sociologist at John Jay College of Criminal Justice, told the  PBS New Hour.  “Fear of crime is real. People should feel concerned. But if we allow and we exacerbate and exaggerate what is happening, then that will run rampant. If the fear gets too high, then that will become the way in which New York is organized, and we will start taking actions in a way that could lead to challenges down the road.”

But fear in Washington Heights is also based on facts. The vibrant nightlife seems to provide criminals with plenty of opportunities. As of December 2022,  there were 261 robberies, a 29.2 percent increase from 2021. Of the 261 robberies, 155 occurred between 9 p.m. and 6 a.m. Friday, Saturday, Sunday, and Monday are the days when the most robberies occur. Police say criminals target people getting out of nightclubs and restaurants and take advantage of those looking for their cars or looking for a restaurant to end the night. That’s apparently when jewelry, phones and vehicles get stolen.

Source NYPD CompStat 2.0

Community Board 12 members are working with the police to reduce criminal activity and to try to make residents feel safer. The 34^th Precinct, like other NYPD precincts, is short on staff and community board members stepped up to identify parts of the community that need a greater police presence. “…we let them know so that they focus on those areas,”  said Community Board President Eleazar Bueno.

For Community Board 12, creating a long-lasting relationship between the police and the community is essential. Because of this, they held a building bridges event where the police and the community could meet. Bueno said. “Building Bridges is an initiative in which the community has a more human, less authoritative communication and an equidistant level in which both parties, outside of their work schedule, can have a moment and walk together so that the community obviously sees them together and identifies as such.”

In the meantime, Washington Heights residents like Delba Grullon take measures to ensure their own safety.  “I’m constantly aware that when I am taking the train or walking in the streets, I am constantly looking around and being aware of my surroundings, making sure that if I’m wearing headphones only on one ear or not both, and that the volume is not too high. When I get out of work, or when I get out of school really late at night, when it’s dark, and I’m about to get on the train, I just make sure that I know who’s around me and who’s in the train car,” she said.

Despite the high crime rate, some residents believe that by working together they can help the police decrease crime and unite to protect the community and their loved ones “Little by little, you create a community of people that know you and support you and continue to care about you. And yeah, we just take care of each other mutually,”  Grullon said.