Drones over Central Park? NYC Mayor Eric Adams looking to technology as police investigate another assault.
NEW YORK - With crime on the rise in Central Park, Mayor Eric Adams says he is looking into drones and other technology.
It comes as police investigate the latest assault that happened around 10:15 a.m. Wednesday. Investigators say a man pushed an 82-year-old woman at the park's tennis courts near the Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Reservoir.
The latest crime data shows a 200% spike in robberies in the precinct so far this year.
NYC Mayor Adams considering drones in Central Park
Mayor Eric Adams spoke about crimes in city parks during an unrelated press conference Tuesday.
"I think we could do a better job of using drones to police the area from the sky. And there's some technology that we're looking at that I think is going to assist us," Adams said.
The Legal Aid Society told CBS New York the mayor's drone proposal would "disproportionately target our clients and all Black and Brown New Yorkers, while doing very little to prevent crime."
Central Park crime stats show spike so far this year
The NYPD says major crimes are increasing at an alarming rate in that area of the park, up at least 46 percent since last year.
Robberies are up 200% in the Central Park Precinct, increasing from 10 in 2023 to at least 30 so far this year. Felony assaults are also up nearly 43%.
This year, there have been several armed robberies and random attacks in the park, including a woman hit with a hammer and a rock thrown at actor Michael Stuhlbarg. In June, a woman was sexually assaulted while sunbathing in the Great Hill section.
Here's what parkgoers have to say
Some parkgoers we spoke with questioned whether drones will deter crime.
"Does anybody feel safe anywhere?" Upper West Side resident John Goldenthal asked. "I'm not sure what the solutions are entirely, but we need some more of a police presence."
"There are going to be certain areas that are a little bit more desolate, that you won't have as many people, and I think those are also the areas he would have to be concerned about," said Upper West Side resident Michelle Labella.
2 robberies within 24 hours in Central Park
Meanwhile, police are searching for two suspects after two 20-year-old men were robbed shortly before 11 p.m. Tuesday on 62nd Street and West Drive. The victims were not hurt in the incident.
It's unclear what exactly was stolen before the suspects took off running. So far, their descriptions have not been released.
This was the second robbery in the park within a span of 24 hours. Around 1 a.m. Tuesday on 59th Street and Fifth Avenue, police say three men were approached by a group of teens, who stole a necklace and AirPods.
Anyone with information about the latest attacks is asked to call the NYPD's Crime Stoppers hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or 1-888-57-PISTA (74782) for Spanish.