NEW YORK (1010 WINS/WCBS 880) – Thieves on scooters and mopeds are an increasing concern in New York City, with police on Thursday reporting another three robbery sprees across Brooklyn, Queens and the Bronx.
The suspects’ MOs vary in the three separate patterns with more than a dozen victims. Some used force or threats to rob their victims, while one of them simply rode up and snatched their belongings. They were all able to make a quick getaway on the two-wheeled motor vehicles that have proliferated across the city in recent years.
Darrin Porcher, a criminal justice professor at Pace University and former NYPD sergeant, said the city needs to do more to crack down on the increasingly lawless domain of scooters and mopeds, many of which don't even have license plates.
"I believe the NYPD now has to construct an enforcement unit that specifically targets mopeds, scooters," Porcher said. "We have people that ride scooters and mopes that act with impunity as they drive through our streets. They commit crimes and nothing is being done about it."
BROOKLYN-QUEENS SPREE
At least five robberies were reported in this pattern, which unfolded over just 45 minutes during the early morning hours of Sept. 4. Three of the victims were in Ridgewood and two were in Bushwick.
In each holdup, three males in their late teens or early 20s rode up to victims on a scooter and demanded their cash or phone while brandishing a knife or firearm.
Three young men were robbed between 1 a.m. and 1:20 a.m. in Ridgewood. The thieves’ haul included hundreds of dollars in cash and a cellphone.
Then between 1:40 and 1:45 a.m., two more men were robbed of their cash or phone in Bushwick.
Two of the victims were injured. A man in Ridgewood suffered an injury to his arm but declined further medical attention. A victim in Bushwick was thrown to the ground as he was mugged, causing injuries to his head, elbow and leg. He was transported to Wyckoff Heights Medical Center in stable condition.
QUEENS SPREE
A second robbery spree includes at least six victims in Ridgewood and Glendale from late September to early October.
In this pattern, two suspects rode up on a moped, displayed a knife and robbed the victims of their phone, jewelry or cash. Police have released an image of one of them.
In Ridgewood on the morning of Sept. 29, the pair targeted a 32-year-old man just after midnight and stole his phone and $490 cash at knifepoint. Forty minutes later, they rode up to a woman who was on her porch, displayed a knife and made a threatening gesture to her before fleeing empty-handed.
The duo is believed to be responsible for another four robberies in the Glendale area on Oct. 1, between 5:20 a.m. and 5:40 a.m.
The first victim was a 47-year-old man who was walking home on Central Avenue. The thieving duo approached on a moped, made threats to him, brandished a knife and stole his backpack, which contained an iPhone, Apple AirPods, a wallet, keys and $1,450 cash.
Minutes later, they robbed a 26-year-old man of his iPhone and earrings worth $950. He was the only victim who reported being injured in this spree; police said he was punched as he was mugged but didn't suffer serious injuries.
The pair went on to rob two more people in the area in the ensuing minutes, including a 58-year-old woman whose purse was snatched and a 39-year-old man who had his gold chain, keys and $130 cash stolen at knifepoint.
BRONX SPREE
A third spree in the Bronx includes at least three broad-daylight thefts in August and September.
In that spree, a man on a red moped rode up to women in the Longwood section and snatched the phones right out of their hands, police said.
A 36-year-old woman was targeted on the afternoon of Aug. 6. More than a month later, a 23-year-old woman and a 26-year-old woman were also robbed in the span of just several minutes on the afternoon of Sept. 11.
None of the victims were injured in that spree, according to cops.
Anyone with information is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-577-TIPS.