Upper East Side Residents Fear Crime Is On the Rise

Concerned about a recent spike in robberies, more than 100 Upper East Side residents gathered last night to address crime in the area.Police officials from the 19th precinct and Council Member Daniel Garodnick were on hand as residents poured into the Park Avenue Christian Church for the meeting organized by Gary Udell, whose wife Cheryl was attacked and robbed on May 26.In the last month, residents said they have seen an increase in the number of muggings and attacks in the area. Residents began to notice what they say is a trend when Mrs. Udell was attacked on 81st street between Madison and Park avenues. One June 2, a 35-year-old woman was punched in the face and robbed on 83rd Street and Third Avenue, police officials said.“You can’t just walk down the street and assume you’re safe,” a co-chairwoman of the 100-299 East 77th Street Block Association, Nikki Henkin, said.Police officials said the two incidents were unrelated and the attackers were not the same person.A spokesman for the police department, Deputy Commissioner Paul Browne, said there was no pattern to the attacks. He said crime on the Upper East Side is down 9.6% versus last year, including a 25% decrease in assaults and a 25% decrease in robberies.“A lot of this stuff doesn’t get reported,” Mr. Udell said of crime on the Upper East Side. He said that in the last month, two of his neighbors had been robbed, but the incidents had not been reported to the police.Most recently, residents have been spooked by press reports that an Italian tourist had been held at knifepoint while walking on Lexington Avenue and 86th Street. The woman fought off her attacker by grabbing his knife.Mr. Garodnick cautioned residents against spreading rumor and fear, but said he was concerned.“I remember the times when this neighborhood had a different feel,” he said.

Upper East Side Residents Fear Crime Is On the Rise

Upper East Side Residents Fear Crime Is On the Rise

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