Central Park goers wary as serious assaults, sex crimes skyrocket in 2025: ‘I wouldn’t walk alone’
The NYPD reports that serious assaults in Central Park have jumped by 58 % this year, while “sex crimes” other than rape have risen an alarming 146 %. So far in 2025 the precinct has recorded 19 felony assaults—up from 12 in the same timeframe last year—and the numbers show a 138 % increase compared with two years ago and a 280 % rise since 2010. “Other sex crimes” now total 27 incidents, up from only 11 in the previous year.
In a troubling episode on September 26, a 22‑year‑old woman from New Jersey was talking on her phone near West Drive and Center Drive when a stranger approached and began groping her genitals; the assailant fled and no arrest has been made. Another incident on August 28 involved a woman and her husband on West Drive near 72nd Street; a different stranger slapped the woman from behind and escaped on a one‑wheel scooter.
These upticks have left park‑goers uneasy. “I wouldn’t walk here alone,” said Vena Watson, 45, while strolling in the park with her husband. Tom Moore, a 60‑year‑old superintendent who works close to the park, blamed the spike on what he calls “bulls–t policies,” noting that the lenient approach to crime since 2020 has created a “revolving door of violence.” “I have my head on a swivel … I feel scared going out at night,” he added.
On August 25, a 27‑year‑old homeless man named David Luciano assaulted two people in quick succession at 62nd Street and 93rd Street, choking and kicking at an 18‑year‑old and then choking a 37‑year‑old before fleeing. He was arrested a short time later on charges of assault and obstruction of breathing, but missed an October 23 court date after a psychiatric evaluation. The attack had left the second victim with his ear bitten.
Veteran New Yorker Tony Martinez—53—expressed concern: “I wouldn’t tell anyone who’s vulnerable and who can’t stand their ground to go out at night. I’ve heard of people just getting knocked down.” A 51‑year‑old woman was robbed on November 5 when two riders on a foldable e‑bike struck her from behind, taking her headphones. The stolen items were traced to Adam Clayton Powell Boulevard in Harlem, but authorities still have no arrests.
The couple Laurie and Ross McDonagh, both 34 and visiting from England, shared similar worries. “I’m worried about crime. It’s quite scary at night. I wouldn’t walk around alone,” Laurie said, noting that they had seen people talking to themselves on the street and urging visitors to keep their wits about them.
Despite the rise in violent incidents, overall crime in the park is down 22.1 % year‑to‑year, a police spokesman said, adding that 40 % of the “other sex crimes” involved public lewdness. He added that half of the 19 felony assaults resulted in arrests, and that the Central Park Precinct is expanding its Q‑Teams to further curb crime and reassure New Yorkers that Central Park stays safe.
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