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The 1940s marked a period of what appeared to be a heightened level of crime in Central Park. The crimes reported were much different than the crimes of the 19th century, which included such things as picking flowers or appearing drunk in public. Instead, New Yorkers were inundated with reports of theft, violent assaults, and even murder.(38) These crimes were greatly exaggerated by newspapers, magazines, and news stations, particularly when the assailants were believed to be of African American or Puerto Rican decent, and the victims white. One may suggest that the media's over emphasis of African American and Puerto Rican crimes was an attempt to exploit the fears of white New Yorkers about the immense influx of African American migrants from the South and Puerto Rican immigrants who were settling in large numbers in previously white neighborhoods.(39)
Although the media emphasized African American and Puerto Rican crimes in Central Park, and portrayed the Park as a dark, seedy, and extremely dangerous place, data from the period demonstrates that the crime in Central Park was highly embellished. For instance, from 1979 to 1986 thirty-five murders were reported in Central Park; however, this figure was lower than the murder rates of other areas around the city such as along Lower Fifth Avenue where murders were three times as frequent. Figures like this one supported the claims of park and police officials that criminals were not hiding behind every tree or bush in Central Park ready to mug or kill you.(40)
Despite revival efforts, the image of Central Park as a hot bed of criminal activity still remains. This image has also been perpetuated by the film industry. For example, in Home Alone II: Lost in New York, Central Park is depicted as a place frequented by drug dealers, prostitutes, hobos, and other undesirables. While Central Park is not the dangerous menace, it was once thought to be, and it has often been at the center of brutal, brazen, violent and unforgettable crimes. One of the best known cases was that of the Central Park Jogger.
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