19 CommentsScary stuff. Public Safety just warned the Columbia community that a little after midnight last night, two students were robbed while walking through Morningside Park. The two were approached by five or six males, one of which showed the students his gun. Here’s the full report:
On April 30, 2012 at about 12:18 a.m. two students were robbed as they were walking through Morningside Park. The victims were accosted by a group of five-six males. One of the suspects displayed a handgun. The suspects took property from both victims, and fled in an unknown direction.
One victim described the male with the gun as being in his twenties, dark skinned, and about 5’5” in height. She described the others as being in their twenties and dark skinned.
If you have any information about this crime, or the suspects, notify Det. Padin at the 26Pct. Detective Squad at 212-678-1351.
Please remember that New York City parks are not generally open to the public at night and alternate routes should be used when the parks are closed.
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19 Comments
@Anonymous STOP VICTIM BLAMING AND RAPE ME INSTEAD!!!
@I only go through morningside when I’m packing
@Anonymous The victim ALWAYS shares part of the blame in any transaction – usually, it is an insignificant part. You cannot be so ignorant as to say that it’s a black-and-white, 100%-0% issue. Sometimes, as in this case, we say that the victims had a strong hand in the robbery.
I also never understood this whole notion of victim blaming – if you don’t blame the victim even partially, how will the victims ever learn? By not ever blaming the victim, you’re doing the victim a disservice, putting them in a bubble and acting as if they did not nothing wrong. If you’re a girl, you are more likely to be robbed. Statistically, you have a smaller frame, weaker muscles, are biologically less likely to be aggressive and fight back. Put yourself in the mind of the criminal (this is what many martial arts instructors ask their students to do) – who would YOU rob? Small girl talking on her cell phone, preferably walking alone – you’ll get that answer 9 times out of 10.
Don’t philosophize about this – be realistic.
@Anonymous “this is what many martial arts instructors ask their students to do”
Bonnie Baker is the best.
@Anonymous SHE IS!!! :D nobody messes with her
@serious question do you find a difference with the warnings:
don’t jog in riverside park at 6pm
and
don’t walk in morningside park after dark
///
in other news: not gonna lie, i’d rather walk through central park at midnight than morningside…
also, shit, one of the victims was a girl. i’m glad it didn’t progress to something even more (which, yes, happens to both guys and girls, but is statistically more likely to happen with girls). i hope the two of you get your stuff back and have justice served.
@puzzled I don’t really see what you’re trying to say about safety in the parks. The second point– that Central Park is safer than Morningside– is one of the most patently obvious observations I can think of about the relative dangerousness/safety of different areas of Manhattan (although I caution people not to think that all parts of Central Park are equally safe). Your first implication, on the other hand, about what an attempted rape in Riverside and 114 at 6pm says about the relative safety of Morningside (where a crime occurred much later) compared to Riverside– if I understand you correctly– makes no sense. Morningside is considerably less safe. But generally speaking, all parks are less safe after dusk.
@EC resident anyone else in EC see the helicopter last night hovering around that time? It had a spotlight and was scanning Morningside as well as a few blocks north of here
@how it probably went down “what do you mean you forgot the weed? borrow my phone, why do you need to borrow my phone? and exactly who are these fellows?”
@Anonymous Ummm…i’m kind of scared to go through Morningside heights during the day….I’m definitely not trying to blame the victims and it’s a shame that we have to limit where we can go at certain times, but it’s the reality and so we should learn to respect it.
@Caitlin Just because you’re scared of Morningside Park does not make it “a reality” that it is unsafe. The park is an absolutely lovely place, as is the Central Harlem neighborhood at its base. The park has playgrounds that are filled with children for christsake. Also, sweet concerts in the summer and an Easter Egg Hunt in April. I walk through the park four or more times a week and have never feared for my well-being. What makes you feel unsafe? Black people?
Don’t go exploring the park at night, but you should get over yourself, get out of the Columbia bubble and check out a sick neighborhood that’s just a few blocks away
@Anonymous I actually walk through the park at least once every week, in order to get into the neighborhood on the other side, where I volunteer etc. Yes it is a great park, but it’s also very big and there are times when parts of it are very lonely and empty…it’s at those times when I don’t exactly feel like it’s the safest place in the world. I wasn’t endorsing wholesale avoidance of the park or staying in the Columbia bubble. I was simply saying that I recognize that it’s probably not best to be in a deserted place, far away from where everyone can hear you ..in the day much less in the night. There are unscrupulous people walking around and unfortunately they will take the opportunity to do terrible deeds in places where nobody would expect them to, much less in ones where there are not many people around and plenty of places to run after. And no I’m not afraid of black people….I’m black myself by the way :).
@CC 2013 If and when I have the opportunity to write a senior wisdom, “Walking through Morningside Park after dark, let alone after midnight, is fucking dangerous” will most definitely be my advice to the Class of 2017.
These guys were lucky nothing worse happened.
@Anonymous Never walk in Morningside Park ever. Especially after dark. I feel bad for these kids, but it was dumb.
@Anonymous Seriously? Never walk in Morningside Park? Sure, after dark it’s dumb, but during the day it’s safe and nice there.
@The Gray Fox I mean, Morningside Park at night? That’s just stupid. Really.
@There's... ..getting robbed of your iPhone on 114th street at 6pm..
..and then there’s walking through Morningside Park at 12 am. Good one, guys. Good one.
@STOP VICTIM BLAMING
@Anonymous You are joking, right? If I walk on a ledge and fall off, it is not the ledges fault. You cannot put yourself in harms way. Be smarter