NEW YORK (WCBS 880) — The NYPD has ramped up patrols in Times Square following Saturday's shooting that left three people hurt.
Mayor Bill de Blasio said Monday that the NYPD is deploying members of its Critical Response Command to the area.
"We're putting additional NYPD resources in the Time Square area to add an extra measure of protection," de Blasio said. "You'll see additional presence. I think there may be some other areas as well where you'll see that. And it's important to show people that presence, I think it is reassuring and helpful. But that's the way we'd go about it."
Police are still looking for the suspected shooter, who reportedly opened fire on his own brother during an apparent turf war over their vendor spaces in the popular tourist spot.
Related
The shooting has raised questions about the safety of Times Square, but there is optimism at the Crossroads of the World.
"Yesterday we had 130,000 people in Times Square up from 112,000 people last week," said Tom Harris, head of the Times Square Alliance.
He called the shooting a horrible incident, but insists the area will thrive.
"This city is not going to recover until Times Square recovers, but I think that a lot of steps are being taken to make sure that this city and Time Square recovers," Harris said. "While this was a horrible, high-profile incident, overall crime in Times Square is down."
Word of the crime bounced around the world. Harris said someone told him that the lead story in a Bangladeshi newspaper on Monday was about the shooting in Times Square.
Despite the negative attention, he's confident the area is safe in part because of the police presence.
"We need the cops to be cops and do what they do best," Harris said.
Andrew Lewis was visiting Times Square from Oklahoma and said the shooting is not stopping him from looking for an apartment in the city.
"Everywhere I go I see police officers... I've had a lot of peace mind about that," he said. "We live in Oklahoma City and we're hoping to say that we are New Yorkers by the end of the week."
Yvonne Williams lives in the city said she's on edge after the incident.
"I'm a little scared, I'm watching everybody," Williams said, but it's not deterring her from visiting Times Square. "Something my father said, 'If you're afraid of the dark, go in the dark.'"