Suspect Sought For Allegedly Exposing Himself On Southbound 4 Train
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- Police are trying to identify a man who they said exposed himself on the subway as NYPD Transit police say the number of subway sex crimes is on the rise.
The most recent incident happened on board a southbound 4 train around 7 p.m. back on June 12. Police said the man exposed himself as the train approached the Union Square subway station.
So far this year, police said 458 in-transit sex crimes have been reported, compared to 299 during the same period last year. But officials say it's not because more sex offenses are happening.
"Our teams are catching more sex offenders in the act and more women are coming forward knowing that we are committed to aggressively pursuing each criminal complaint," NYPD Chief of Transit Joe Fox said.
Police said they have also deployed more undercover female officers on trains to help catch suspects in the act, CBS2 reported.
The crimes have many straphangers concerned.
"It's a day to day thing, you have to worry," Loretta Cruci of Staten Island said. "You never know what people are thinking. I want to have pepper spray to keep in my bag, cause you just don't know."
"A lot of people are just sick and tired of it. People just want to ride the train in peace," Mike Harmon of Bedford-Stuyvesant said.
Debjani Roy is deputy director of Hollaback!, an organization that works to create awareness and end harassment. She said suspects targeting victims on trains may be strategic.
"It's an enclosed space, a lot of perpetrators might like to trap their victims because they may not have anywhere to go, particularly if it's in the subway car," she said.
Police believe the MTA complaint portal developed in 2014 as well as increased enforcement is also helping to catch more aggressors.
"More women are feeling comfortable enough to come forward," Roy said.
Investigators released a picture of the suspect from the June 12 incident that was taken by another passenger on board the train. He is described as a white man between the ages of 55 and 65.
Anyone with information is Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782), visit www.nypdcrimestoppers.com or text tips to 274637 (CRIMES) then enter TIP577.