NYPD: Spike in subway sex crimes

Sex crimes in the New York City subway system are on the rise, according to the NYPD.   The NYPD told the MTA board sex crimes are up 200 from last year: 913 so far in 2016 versus 713 in 2015.  That is a 28 percent rise.

NYPD Assistant Transit Chief Vincent Coogan testified Monday before the MTA board.

"The the two biggest categories are forcible touching and public lewdness," Chief Coogan said, "With forcible touching up 113 incidents and public lewdness up 71 incidents."

He says that unlawful surveillance, which is often men trying to take video or photos up the skirts of women, is also up sharply.

The NYPD now has its own special victims unit that handles only subway sex assaults. The MTA lets victims or witnesses report crimes directly to its website.

"Not that we encourage it but a lot of women have been taking pictures of these people and one thing we've been doing is getting it out to the media quickly and arrests have been made with these incidents," Chief Coogan said.

He says that there are arrests in slightly more a 50 percent of the sex cases in the subway system.

Just last week, cops arrested three high-level sex offenders connected to the subway system.