Metro

Crime in city parks surges almost 40 percent in 2016

Crime in city parks surged 39 percent in the first six months of the year.

There were 156 robberies, up 36 percent from the same period last year, and 94 assaults, up 24 percent. Grand larcenies skyrocketed by 67 percent, with 194 reported between January and June of this year, compared to 116 in the first six months of 2015.

Six rapes were reported, down from eight a year ago. One murder was reported, down from three in the same period in 2015.

Overall, a total of 460 crimes were reported in the first two quarters, versus 330 in 2015.

Looking only at the second quarter — April through June — overall crime spiked by an alarming 44 percent from last year. Robberies alone increased 58 percent.

Flushing Meadows-Corona Park in Queens leads city parks in crime by a landslide. In the first half of 2016, there were 25 grand larcenies, three robberies, a felony assault and a robbery.

“It’s unbelievable that this is still a problem,” said NYC Park Advocates President Geoffrey Croft.

“What’s particularly embarrassing is the city’s response calling park crime ‘rare,’ the increase a ‘slight uptick’ and boasting that parks are the safest places in the universe” he said. “That’s simply delusional.”