NYPD Reports 9% Increase in Subway Felony Assaults, Driven by Attacks on Elderly, Police, and MTA Workers
The New York City subway system has seen a 9% increase in felony assaults this year, according to NYPD Chief of Transit Joseph Gulotta. Speaking at a press briefing at NYPD's Manhattan HQ, Gulotta revealed that nearly half of these attacks target specific groups: police officers, MTA workers, and elderly commuters. Through the end of August, 435 assaults were investigated, up from 397 during the same period last year. Elderly individuals accounted for 17% of the victims, while police officers made up 21%. This data comes shortly after a 65-year-old woman, Lydia Zuniga, had her leg broken in three places after being shoved onto tracks in an unprovoked attack, criticizing city leaders for failing to protect riders. Other recent incidents include a 70-year-old woman thrown onto tracks in Midtown and three elderly victims slashed with a machete at Grand Central Station. Despite the rise in overall assaults, random attacks are down by 8%, and unprovoked felony assaults decreased by 4%. Gulotta noted that most N... 
