FACT CHECK: Did The NYPD Arrest Two People For Sleeping On The Concrete Blocks Near Times Square?
A video shared on Instagram claims the New York Police Department (NYPD) purportedly arrested two individuals for sleeping on the concrete blocks a few blocks from Times Square.
View this post on Instagram
Verdict: False
A spokesperson for the NYPD’s Office of the Deputy Commissioner, Public Information denied the claim in an email to Check Your Fact.
Fact Check:
An NYPD memo reportedly shows that the department’s counterterrorism unit will face personnel cuts of up to 75%, according to The Gothamist. Scott Shanley, the deputy chief of the NYPD’s counterterrorism unit, said the department is attempting to reduce the number of potential personnel cuts, the outlet reported.
“Undercover NYPD swarm and arrest two young people for sleeping on the concrete blocks a few blocks from Times Square,” the Instagram video’s caption purports. The video, which has received over 3,000 likes, appears to show plainclothes officers placing handcuffs on two individuals. A comment posted on the video contradicts the claim made in the caption, suggesting the individuals were arrested for pickpocketing instead.
The claim is false. Check Your Fact found no credible news reports suggesting two individuals had been arrested by the NYPD for purportedly sleeping on the concrete blocks a few blocks from Times Square. Likewise, the NYPD has neither referenced the claim on its website nor its verified social media accounts.
In addition, Democratic New York Mayor Eric Adams has not publicly commented on the claim. (RELATED: Was A Man Attacked At A Washington, D.C. Amtrak Station?)
A spokesperson for the NYPD’s Office of the Deputy Commissioner, Public Information denied the claim in an email to Check Your Fact.
“[On] September 14, 2023 in front of 237 West 42 Street at 10:58pm, the suspects entered the location and removed a victim’s bag containing foreign currency, credit cards, personal documents and personal items without permission or authority to do so. The suspects were apprehended without incident and charged with Grand Larceny, Criminal Possession of Stolen Property and Petit Larceny,” the spokesperson said.
This is not the first time a false claim involving the NYPD has circulated online. Check Your Fact previously debunked a social media post purporting the NYPD discovered a drug smuggling effort utilizing pigeons and birds for transport.
