New York City is seeing a surge in violent crime committed by homeless suspects as the number of single adults sleeping in municipal shelters spiked by 103 percent in the past decade and has continued to soar since coronavirus pandemic.
In the past few years, NYC homelessness has reached its highest levels since the Great Depression of the 1930s, according to the New York Coalition for the Homeless. There were 47,979 homeless people, including 14,881 homeless children, sleeping each night in the NYC municipal shelter system in August 2021, according to the agency. In the same month, there were 18,357 single adults in shelters.
The coalition adds that thousands of homeless people sleep throughout the streets, subways and other public spaces throughout the Big Apple, but there is 'no accurate measure' of such data and city surveys 'significantly underestimate the number of unsheltered homeless New Yorkers.'
Many have said that Mayor Bill de Blasio's attempts to handle an already existing mental health crisis have only exacerbated it, despite de Blasio facing regular condemnation for being too soft on crime and its causes.
New York City is seeing a surge in violent crime committed by homeless suspects with untreated mental health issues. Above, a homeless woman pushes a cart through Times Square
The Office of Community Mental Health, which was once known as first lady Chirlane McCray’s $1.25 billion ThriveNYC initiative, has yet to reinstate two in-person training programs, Mental Health First Aid and Crisis Intervention Training due to COVID-19 safety precautions even though city workers have been back in their offices for months, according to the New York Post.
The number of crime victims offered emotional support services also dropped from 49,000 in the 2020 fiscal year 2020 to 39,000 in 2021 fiscal year, the outlet stated.
And mental health service in high-needs schools saw a change of guard this year. They are now run by the Department of Education and the Department of Health instead of the Office of Community Mental Health.
There have been 16,899 felony assaults in NYC this year through October 3, with multiple terrifying examples carried out by homeless people, according to the the most recent data from the NYPD.
That is up seven percent from the 15,787 committed in the same time period the previous year. Felony assaults are up almost 16 percent in the past 28 days, with 1,949 incidents through October 3 compared to 1,685 in the same duration last year.
Robberies in the Big Apple are down just 0.4 percent with 9,647 through October 3 compared to 9,686 committed in the same period last year. Robberies are up nine percent in the past 28 days with 1,222 occurring in in 2021 as compared to 1,117 in 2020.
The homeless crisis in New York appears to increase as more people are left without a place to stay
Transit crimes are down 13 percent this year through October 3, with 1,200 in 2021 and 1,384 in 2020. However, such crimes have soared in the past 28 days and are up about 66 percent with 169 in 2021 as opposed to 102 for the same period in 2020.
Recent anecdotal evidence has shown instances of homeless attackers carrying out muggings, assaults and attacking people on the city's subway system.
One of the main causes of homelessness is a lack of affordable housing. Surveys of families experiencing homelessness found that immediate triggers were eviction, domestic violence, job loss or hazardous housing conditions, cited the Coalition of the Homeless.
In addition, the coalition states, homeless single adults have much higher rates of mental illness, addiction disorders and other health issues.
Among the latest victims of homeless attackers are a 16-year-old girl who was strangled from behind by a homeless woman while eating sushi in Queens and a cancer nurse who was killed when a homeless man slammed her headfirst into the pavement while fleeing a robbery.
A woman police identified as Minerva Martinez, 36, is seen in surveillance footage marching up behind the unnamed 16-year-old girl as she ate outside Watawa Sushi in Astoria on October 4. She wraps her arm around her neck for a few seconds before releasing, but does not leave the scene, standing over and appearing to threaten the girl.
Four days later, a mugger police say is Jermaine Foster, 26, was fleeing a robbery when he barreled into Maria Ambrocio in Times Square, knocking her to the ground. Yesterday, Foster's charges were upgraded from felony assault to murder after Ambrocio's family agreed to switch off her life support.
A homeless person appears to have created a makeshift shelter using two umbrellas and garbage cans
A homeless person sleeps in front of ABC studios in Times Square as people watch the taping of the show through the window in Manhattan
Jermaine Foster (pictured) was arraigned on murder charges Sunday in Manhattan for the death of a New Jersey nurse who he allegedly slammed headfirst into the pavement while fleeing a robbery
The 26-year-old was arraigned Sunday for the death of Maria Ambrocio, 58. Foster was fleeing the scene of a crime in October 2021 when he ran into her, knocking her over in Times Square
Maria Ambrocio, 58, was walking through Times Square Friday afternoon when she was bowled over by Foster
A 16-year-old girl was strangled from behind by a homeless woman while eating sushi in Queens on October 4, as seen in a security photo above
The suspect, identified as 36-year-old Minerva Martinez, a homeless woman with a lengthy rap sheet - which includes six felony assaults - was arrested Saturday in connection with the incident and is currently incarcerated and charged with strangulation
Foster had been freed on a groping charge just one month before he caused the death of Ambrocio, a 58-year-old oncology nurse from Bayonne in New Jersey.
'He's never gotten into trouble of this sort. I feel so bad for them… I know, it's so heartbreaking,' Orette Montague, Foster's stepdad, told read more from dailymail.....
