Subway Sex Crimes Are on the Rise
Wednesday Dec 14th, on Sex Crimes | Share
According to CBS Local New York, overall reports of crime taking place on the city subways show a general decrease in crime. The New York Police Department data shows a 1.7 percent decline in crime rates underground. However, not all crimes are becoming less common and this decline does not necessarily mean that subways are safer. In fact, the NYPD indicates that the number of reported subway sex crimes is up 29 percent.
As concerns about rising subway sex crimes have increased, more people are turning into amateur sleuths trying to solve these crimes. This could result in innocent people being accused of wrongdoing. If you are charged with a sex crime on the subway, or anywhere else within the city, you need to understand what options you have for responding to charges. A New York City federal sex crime defense attorney can provide assistance to those who are accused of sex offenses.
More Reports of New York City Subway Sex Crimes
According to data on crime reporting from the NYPD, there have been a total of 830 reports of sex crimes on the subway occurring so far over the course of this year. During the same time period last year, there were just 641 reports of subway sex crimes. Common examples of the types of crimes being reported include alleged victims being grabbed or groped, as well as people exposing themselves to others on the subway.
Police do not actually believe there has been a hugely significant increase in these types of offenses occurring. Instead, the belief is that the spike in reports of subway sex crimes is occurring because more people are coming forward when crimes happen. The police ramped up efforts to show the public how seriously they take reports of sex crimes, with new initiatives from the NYPD in mid-2015, including apps and a link to report on the MTA website. A nonprofit called Hollaback is also encouraging more reporting to take place.
The new focus has also resulted in citizen activism, according to CBS Local. This has included people taking pictures of those who they suspect of committing sex crimes. The police do not encourage citizens to take photos, in part because this can be dangerous. However, police also say that they will accept the pictures if people have them. Of course, citizens riding the subway are not the police, and there is ample room for error when individuals get involved in trying to gather evidence that could possibly lead to someone facing serious charges.
The reality is, sex crimes are taken very seriously and even an accusation can ruin a reputation and a life. If you are accused of wrongdoing in or out of the subway, you need to make certain you raise the best defense possible to protect your future. Contact The Law Office of James E. Tyner, PLLC to discover what options you may have available to you and to get help trying to avoid life-changing criminal penalties.