NEW YORK (1010 WINS/WCBS 880) – In response to a recent spike in crime at Central Park, including a robbery this morning, Mayor Eric Adams suggested using drones to enhance security in the park during his weekly meeting with reporters on Tuesday.
“Such a vast, large area, I think we could do a better job in using drones to police the area from the sky,” Adams said. “And there's some new technology that we're looking at that I think is going to assist us. We'll roll it out when I think it's time to do so.”
Adams also hinted at "new tactics" but declined to disclose details to avoid tipping off criminals.
“There's a combination of public safety tactics that we're going to be using in that area,” he said. “We don’t want to let the bad guy know what we're doing, because I know 'all news all the time,' they listen to 1010 to get their tips.”
The drone comments follow an incident early Tuesday morning where two men and a teenage boy were robbed at gunpoint in Central Park's Grand Army Plaza entrance. According to police, the suspects—four teenagers—approached the victims at approximately 1 a.m. at West 59th Street and Fifth Avenue.
One of the suspects brandished a firearm while the others stole the victims' belongings, including a chain and Apple AirPods. The NYPD responded to a 911 call and arrested three of the suspects without incident; the fourth fled. No injuries were reported.
Less than two weeks ago, a 38-year-old man was surrounded and robbed by kids as young as 10 years old near Wollman Rink in the park, police said.
Robberies have increased this year in the Central Park Precinct, according to NYPD data.
Robberies are up 200% through Aug. 11, compared to the same time in 2023. NYPD stats show 30 robberies reported this year versus 10 last year during that period.
Overall major crimes in the park are up 46%, driven by the spike in robberies as well as a 42.9% increase in felony assaults, with 10 such assaults reported so far this year compared to seven last year.