NEW YORK (1010 WINS/WCBS 880) – The NYPD confirmed with 1010 WINS that they cracked down on multiple migrant facilities throughout New York City on Wednesday night in an attempt to confiscate unregistered scooters and bikes.
The recent increase in bike-related robberies is among the reasons that prompted this raid. According to police, not only bicycles but also scooters are being used by thieves. They allow thieves to swiftly snatch items like wallets, phones, jewelry, and purses from pedestrians and make a quick escape with the stolen goods.
NYPD Assistant Commissioner Kaz Daughtry led the teams to search the area around the Row Hotel, which serves as a migrant center in Hell's Kitchen, according to ABC7.
"We are seeing an uptick of scooter robberies in the city, particularly in Manhattan, where individuals are on scooters, normally two on a scooter, and they're taking their cell phones, AirPods, Beats, wallets, purses," Daughtry told ABC7. "We're going to be over aggressively going after these scooters and moped on city streets."
The exact number of confiscated scooters and bikes was not immediately clear.
"We had to come here, and we had to do our job," Daughtry said.
The raid was mainly aimed at taking away motorbikes, some with stolen plates.
The crackdown comes after a group of men ganged up on two NYPD officers, punching and kicking them outside a migrant shelter in Times Square on Tuesday.
The two officers suffered minor injuries, including cuts to their face, and were treated at the scene.
Police said seven of the men were arrested though they were still searching for several more suspects.