Tourists still throng Times Square, but 2 recent crimes leave some locals feeling stressed

If you walked through Times Square, you'd see hordes of tourists shopping, salespeople peddling double-decker bus rides, and street vendors selling candy and halal food. But if you talk to local workers and neighborhood residents, some will tell you that two recent violent incidents have the community on edge.

“The out-of-towners, the international folks are coming, they’re enjoying themselves and having a great time,” said Tom Harris, president of the Times Square Alliance, a group that works to promote and improve the area. “We still struggle a little bit with the locals.”

But since the spring of 2022, the city's tourist district has played host to thousands of migrants who are arriving at the Port Authority Bus Terminal, seeking housing placements at the Roosevelt Hotel and staying in the area's shelters. Several people were caught on surveillance video grabbing and kicking two police officers last month as they tried to make an arrest on 42nd Street outside a skyscraper that has been converted into a migrant shelter. Police said at least some of the people who assaulted the officers were recent arrivals. Days later, police said a 15-year-old who recently arrived from Venezuela shot and injured a tourist while trying to shoplift from a sporting goods store.

The incidents stoked fears and political debate over immigration and crime across the city and beyond. Police data from the precinct that includes Times Square shows serious crimes like murder, robbery and felony assault have all dropped since this time last year. Harris said domestic or international tourists seem undeterred — hundreds of thousands of them have flocked to the area and local hotels were at over 90% capacity last weekend. But recent events have put the community under stress, according to local residents and workers who were just beginning to see the area rebound from the pandemic's crippling effects.

Harris said the Times Square Alliance has been surveying visitors to see whether people feel safe coming to Times Square. Overall, he said people who live in New York City or its metro area are nervous to come to the tourist district — largely because of what they hear about crime in the media.

“You can have a crime problem and address it in 12 hours,” he said. “But people’s perception takes time.”

Migrants who spoke with Gothamist in Times Square declined to give their names, and several said they feared retribution from law enforcement or others in the community. But some said they still felt safer in New York City than in their home countries, which they fled to escape violence and human rights abuses.

Although violent crime is down compared to this time last year, thefts are up. In the Midtown South Precinct, police have reported 325 grand larcenies so far this year compared to 273 through mid-February last year, and 461 petit larcenies compared to 426 during the same time period in 2023. The NYPD has toughened its stance on shoplifting, and after last week’s shooting in Times Square, Chief of Patrol John Chell said the department has also noticed some trends with pickpocketing in the area.

“We don’t care who you are, what you are, what your status is,” he said. “Our job is to keep this community safe.”

Jahangir Kabir Bhuixan, a Bangladeshi immigrant who has worked at a newsstand in Times Square for about two years, said he’s seen the uptick in theft firsthand. He said people have been stealing from him every day lately — sometimes multiple times a day. Bhuixan’s stand is right in front of a subway entrance, and he said people often grab candy and then run down the stairs before anyone can catch them.

“We are losing money and we cannot comfortably run our business,” he said on Monday afternoon.

Bhuixan said he tells the police when people steal, but they often can’t get to his stand in time. He can’t chase after them, either, because he typically works alone and can’t leave his merchandise unattended.

Outside Bhuixan’s stand, throngs of tourists posed for selfies, inspected maps, and gaped at Times Square’s bright lights and flashing signs. Many of them carried shopping bags or rolling suitcases through the crowded sidewalks.

German tourist Emily Abt said she didn’t do any research about crime in Times Square before deciding whether to visit.

“I didn’t really care,” she said with a laugh.

Philip Desp, who was visiting from Greece, felt safe enough to stand in the middle of the street and snap some photos on his phone.

“Very nice. Amazing,” he said. “I feel very safe.”

Bahar Ostadan contributed reporting.