Millions of people traverse the New York City transit system each day, from newly arrived tourists to born-and-bred New Yorkers making their way to and from their trades, and with so many straphangers weaving in and out of the Big Apple’s cavernous subways, police say stations have become breeding grounds for pickpockets’ wandering fingers.
To combat the issue, the NYPD’s Citywide Pickpocket Unit — operated by the Transit Bureau’s Special Operations Division — works day in and day out to put would-be thieves on notice by deploying plain-clothes cops into the masses to stop thieves in their tracks.
As if attracted by the alluring glint of the rail as the reverberating trains power into stations, cutpurses flock to the rocking railcars and bustling platforms on the daily, according to Captain James Soares, executive officer of the Transit Bureau Special Operations Division. Soares says this is because petty thieves creep where vast amounts of people congregate — and with the subway hitting ridership upward of 4 million a day, the metro system can be rather profitable for crooks.
“They work in very crowded areas,” Captain Soares explained. “When you’re getting bumped, that bump you might think is normal, but no — that is somebody opening your bag very slowly. Somebody else may have distracted you and now you have just become a victim, unfortunately.”
On notice
The fear of having a cell phone pinched or a wallet nabbed weighs heavily on the minds of a number of straphangers surveyed by amNewYork Metro. Locals and visitors alike said they are afraid of becoming victims and have even taken to carrying self defense items such as pepper spray to protect themselves.
“I am scared of [being robbed while riding the subway],” one rider, Kayla Salmon, said. “My mom takes the subway to work every day into Manhattan too and I am scared and fearful of that. I carry pepper spray with me all the time.”
Kendra Hunter, who is visiting New York with her friends from Ohio, she that although she is focused on having a good time, her mind also ambled to pickpocket prevention. For Hunter, she was cautious about which kind of bag she wore on her travels.
“I don’t really like to wear big bags. I try to always keep a bookbag. A lot of people have crossbody things too, I realized, but I feel like the bookbags are okay — I usually stick with that and not carry a whole bunch of stuff,” Hunter said.
Fear aside, reported robberies are down year-to-date citywide, as are grand larcenies, according to Police Department data. Grand larceny-related arrests are also up 24% over last year, Transit Bureau officials told amNewYork — but unit leaders say there is still work to be done.
Spotting the invisible
The NYPD’s Pickpocket Unit is deployed undercover in plainclothes, officials told amNewYork Metro. Dressed indistinguishable from passing commuters, this special unit watches for what is invisible to most others. According to those in the unit, pickpockets can be lightning fast and use anything from shirts, scarves, or even tissue to mask their sticky fingers.
Police sources say these thieves watch their prey closely, taking note if a person places their cell phone into their back pocket or places their wallet into a bag and forgets to zip it. They also apparently make their move in groups, using one person as a distraction while the other jostles and makes off with the valuables.
The unit works together to canvas areas for those looking to take advantage of others while also keeping their heads on a swivel for known pickpockets wanted by police.
“Every day we go out there we do surveillance on guys that we believe are up to no good, looking for victims,” Lieutenant Jonathan Cedeno told amNewYork Metro.
The undercover unit is not merely confined to the bowels of the city, they also venture topside to parades, street festivals and other large events to catch criminals in the act.
In December of 2022, amNewYork Metro went undercover with the unit in Bryant Park, during which time they cuffed repeat offender Victor Medina for stealing a wallet from a young park-goer. According to police sources, pickpocketing has a high level of recidivism and Medina was no different. Since his arrest in December, he was again cuffed in 18th Precinct, 14th Precinct, and the 109th Precinct. He is currently in custody on a $25,000 bail, with a court date set for July 20.
“This is what these guys do for a living. So even though we arrest them, they come back again and do it. The individual that we arrested that day, he was re-arrested about three times after that,” Lieutenant Cedeno told amNewYork Metro. “I know that he’s detained right now. He might get out in September, and we will be waiting for him.”
Although arrest after arrest places a heavy burden on the cops who stalk the stalkers, they say that it is worth it to make crooks think twice before plunging their hands into the pockets of New Yorkers.
Of would-be criminals, Lieutenant Cedeno said, “They are out there. They are out there every day” — but so is the Citywide Pickpocket Unit.
The MTA declined to comment.
