NEW YORK (1010 WINS/WCBS 880) – Two men were robbed in Central Park on Tuesday night—less than 24 hours after the last mugging in the park and amid a surge in robberies there this year.
The latest robbery was around 10:45 p.m. at West 62nd Street and West Drive.
Two men, both 20 years old, were walking when they were approached by two teen males, who stole their vape pens and three chains, police said.
The suspects—believed to be about 16 years old—fled the scene and remained at large Wednesday.
The mugging came less than a day after two men and a teen boy were robbed by four teens around 1 a.m. Tuesday in Grand Army Plaza, at West 59th Street and Fifth Avenue.
One of the suspects in that robbery pulled a gun as the other three stole the victims’ property.
No injuries were reported in either hold-up.
And 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 in the Central Park Precinct are up 200% through Aug. 11, compared to the same time in 2023, according to the latest NYPD data. 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.
During a Q&A with reporters Tuesday, Mayor Eric Adams suggested the NYPD may use drones to enhance security in the park.
“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 hinted at "new tactics" to police the park 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,” the mayor 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,” he quipped.