Elderly riders bear brunt of rising New York City subway attacks

According to NYPD transit chief Joseph Gulotta, assaults on elderly individuals in the New York City subway system are contributing to an increase in felony offenses. During a press conference on Friday at the NYPD's headquarters in Manhattan, Gulotta noted that nearly half of the felony assaults involve attacks on police officers, MTA staff, and seniors. As of the end of August, the NYPD has recorded 435 transit assaults this year, a rise from 397 during the same timeframe last year. Seniors comprised 17% of the victims, while police officers represented 21%. However, random attacks have decreased by 8% (from 69 to 63), and unprovoked felony assaults fell by 4% (from 71 to 68). Most individuals arrested for these crimes are repeat offenders. A woman who was pushed onto the tracks and hospitalized expressed concern, stating that "nobody's doing anything" about the rise in violence.