New York City recently experienced a string of overnight shootings, with at least 11 people shot and two killed. Despite Mayor Eric Adams touting heightened police presence, increased surveillance and the use of million-dollar robotic dogs, New Yorkers continue to face violent crime daily.
Politicians have done little to curb this violence. Instead, they have capitalized on perceived injustice to garner public support. Unfortunately, it doesn’t look like the people of New York will get the representation they need anytime soon.
Jordan Neely’s death on a busy subway earlier this year caused an eruption of vitriol, anger and protests in what politicians called an example of institutionalized racism and classism against marginalized people neglected by society.
New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez said: “This honestly feels like a new low: not being able to clearly condemn a public murder because the victim was of a social status some would deem ‘too low’ to care about.”
Rashad Robinson, president of Color of Change — an online-focused civil rights group — contributed: “We’ve got a deep problem in this country in thinking that it’s OK to deploy violence to deal with mental health. The fact is that Black people just don’t have to worry about being strangled by police but by a regular citizen feeling empowered and supported by elected officials.”
With so much outrage, you might think this sort of violence and loss of life must be rare in New York. That’s not the case. Instead, it seems that unprovoked acts of violence are more the daily rule.
On June 26, New York City experienced three violent attacks over eight hours. A woman was assaulted and battered with an unknown object on a southbound A-train, a minor was stabbed in the hip during a robbery, and a man was shot for his wallet. No arrests were made, and crickets from the media.
That’s not all. New Yorkers often have to endure humiliating situations, threats of violence and attempted robberies during their commutes. Last month, a woman was punched by a man who was publicly masturbating and making lewd comments. Other instances include a man randomly punching a deaf commuter after assaulting another; a sex offender attempting to attack and rape a woman on a Manhattan platform; a man randomly attacking a woman and pushing her head against a moving train; a man attempting to rape a 25-year-old woman in broad daylight while onlookers filmed; and a woman being verbally accosted before being pulled and dragged by her hair while she whispers “help me” to indifferent commuters.
Just another day in the Big Apple.
While politicians and interest groups capitalize on select deaths to push their agendas on class struggles, racism, and the somehow abhorrent right to self-defense, they are quick to retreat when asked about their solutions to the daily violence committed in their cities. The city’s district attorney downgrades 52 percent of felonies to misdemeanors.
These aren’t isolated incidents. Compared to last year, misdemeanor assaults increased by 16.5 percent, while petty larceny rose by 25 percent. Subway crime isn’t faring any better: Since 2022, subway crime, including violence, increased 30 percent, and it doesn’t look to change.
Meanwhile, New York City continues to be a haven for the homeless — many of whom are mentally ill. In 2022, the city reached a record of more than 70,000 homeless occupying city shelters and is steadily increasing. Who knows how many more roam the streets and subways?
Yet, little is being done by the New York City government despite the $170 million tucked away for their homeless services budget.
Maybe instead of crying racism and demonizing citizens who are forced to defend themselves from immediate violence, politicians should start coming up with plans to tackle the mental illness and poverty crises that build their platforms. Keeping repeat offenders, the mentally ill and the homeless off busy streets would be a good first step.
Maybe women won’t have to fear catching a subway to get to work.