For much of the pandemic, the several thousand New Yorkers who live on the streets and subways, and the 12,000 who live in shelters for single men, have been the subject of heightened concern, particularly in Manhattan. People who are homeless have been charged in many high-profile attacks, including murders, but advocates say that homeless people are more likely to be the victims of violence than the perpetrators.
In the 12 months ending on June 30, 2021, four unsheltered people were victims of homicides, according to city statistics. The number is relatively small, but it works out to about one homicide per 1,000 unsheltered people, a population that the city’s most recent annual estimate tallied about 3,400. That is far higher than the overall city rate of about one homicide per 17,000 residents.
Shams DaBaron, a formerly homeless man who has become an advocate, said that several times over the years he had slept in the playground, across from a housing project, where Monday’s stabbing occurred. He said he found it a “very dangerous environment.”
Source Article from https://www.nytimes.com/2022/07/12/nyregion/nyc-homeless-stabbing.html
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