PHOTOS BY TEQUILA MINSKY
The uprooted tree on Fifth Avenue near Washington Square Park.
A massive tree fell along Fifth Avenue near Washington Square Park during
Tropical Storm Isaias on Aug. 4, 2020.
Isaias blows through Village, leaves plenty of damage
BY ROBERT POZARYCKI AND TEQUILA MINSKY
Tropical Storm Isaias came and went through the
New York City area in a hurry on Aug. 4 — but
he made his mark in The Village and Battery Park
in a big way.
Isaias’ strong winds, upwards of 60 mph, toppled plenty
of trees in and around Washington Square Park.
One of the bigger casualties was a large tree outside 2
Fifth Ave. The roots were completely uprooted from their
pit due to the high winds. Police quickly closed the area
to traffi c as a precaution.
Battery Park also lost about 30 trees as the tropical
storm made his presence known. A Parks worker reported
that the area had experienced, at one point, an 80 mph gust
that led to some of the destruction.
No major injuries were reported.
Major fl ooding was avoided in Manhattan during Isaias.
Before the storm arrived, the city had set up temporary
berms and sandbags in the area of South Street Seaport,
which Mayor Bill de Blasio had identifi ed as a particularly
vulnerable area for fl ooding in Manhattan.
But Isaias, which made landfall in North Carolina late
on Aug. 3, remained on land as it headed up the Eastern
Seaboard. It weakened, but also moved faster as it headed
northward — with the storm center coming no closer than
60 miles to the west of New York City.
The worst of Isaias had arrived midday on Aug. 4 — but
the skies began clearing at about 3 p.m. that day, and winds
had calmed down by nightfall.
A Parks Department worker contends with a fallen
tree in Battery Park on Aug. 5, 2020.
177% shooting spike in July troubles NYPD
BY EMILY DAVENPORT
Statistics show that the number of shootings in New
York City are skyrocketing compared to this time
last year.
On Aug. 3, the NYPD released the July 2020 crime
stats, which shows that there was 177% increase yearover
year in the number of shooting incidents across the
city in July with 244 in total. In July 2019, there were only
88 shootings over the course of the month. The number
of shootings increased by 72% year-to-date, with 450 by
July 2019 to 772 by July 2020.
According to the statistics, the number of murders
throughout the city for the fi rst seven months of the year
is also up, jumping from 181 by July 2019 to 235 by July
2020, rising 30% year-over-year. In July 2020 alone there
were 54 murders, rising from 34 in July 2019.
The NYPD has initiated a new plan to simultaneously
increase its targeted mobilization and engage with community
partners, including a series of Stop the Violence
anti-gun town hall events throughout the city. The NYPD’s
efforts to address the surging violence includes shifting
offi cers to areas experiencing upticks in shootings and calls
on offi cers to engage with residents at the grassroots level
to focus on the problems and solve them locally.
“Amid the ongoing challenges of these times, the
NYPD’s commitment to public safety never wavers,” said
NYPD Police Commissioner Dermot Shea. “Our men and
women offi cers represent the best of the policing profession
and work every day alongside those they serve in an ongoing
joint mission to protect life, prevent crime and build
safer neighborhoods for everyone across our great city.”
Burglaries throughout the city in July rose 31% yearover
year, jumping from 989 in July 2019 to 1,297 in July
2020. Year-to-date, burglaries have risen 45%, increasing
from 5,932 through July 31, 2019, to 8,594 through July
31, 2020. Transit crimes dropped 41.8% to 107 incidents
while housing crimes increased 11.3% to 504 incidents.
The number of robberies decreased by 6.6% year-overyear
with 1,124 total in July 2020. Grand larcenies also
took a dip last month, dropping 25.1% to 3,016. However,
the number of auto thefts increased to 892 citywide, a 53%
increase year-over-year.
The NYPD stats say that the number of assaults decreased
to 1,983 last month, a 4.8% decrease year-overyear.
The number of rapes also dropped 6% from 163 in
July 2019 to 153 in July 2020, but the NYPD acknowledges
that rape continues to be underreported in New York City.
If you have been a victim of sexual assault, the NYPD asks
that you please come forward and call the NYPD Special
PHOTO BY TODD MAISEL
Victims Division’s 24-hour hotline at 212-267RAPE (7273).
While hate crimes against Black and Asian New Yorkers
stayed at the same level compared to July 2019, the
city saw 22 coronavirus-related hate crimes. The NYPD
placed coronavirus-related crimes in an “other” category
— regardless of the victim’s race — as there are primarily
two motivating factors behind those crimes: The victim’s
race (Anti-Asian) and the perception that they have coronavirus.
Hate crimes in the “other” category rose from 8
incidents to 17 incidents, marking a 113 percent increase.
Schneps Media August 6, 2020 3