College students in New York City are now not only in need of beer money but also of bodyguards!
A concerned father from Maryland, worried about the increasing crime rates in New York City, decided to hire a “security consultant” to protect his 19-year-old daughter. She is a freshman at New York University (NYU) in Greenwich Village, where crime has been on the rise over the past three years.
“I was very apprehensive about New York, and I am concerned about her,” shared the 52-year-old real estate investor, who chose to remain anonymous. NYU was the only choice for his daughter when it came to selecting a school.
He emphasized the importance of having the right information to make informed decisions, especially for a young person navigating a city independently for the first time away from home.
The “security consultant” will assist the girl, who is pursuing studies in business and the arts, in safely exploring the five boroughs.
“I don’t know if this is sufficient; I hope it is,” added the father. “As a parent, you want to equip your child with all the information possible and hope they make good choices.”
After an extensive search, the father hired an experienced female private investigator for the 25-hour-a-week position last month. While he did not disclose her salary, the standard rate for such a role in NYC is over $50 per hour.
Lauren Zucker-Pliner at Household Staffing, a discreet employment agency in Pennsylvania, was tasked with finding the security consultant by the father. On August 15, a post was made on Facebook seeking to hire an “officer” to watch over a client’s daughter and ensure her safety while at school.
The ideal candidate should have knowledge of any ongoing emergency situations in or around the city that a college student should be cautioned about. The post also mentioned the need for someone to accompany her around the city and educate her on areas to avoid.
The job posting highlighted the importance of building a relationship with the daughter through shared interests like yoga or Pilates.
The posting further stated, “One day, you may be accompanying her to the Bronx Zoo, the next you may just be calling her to check in and see where she will be for the week, so you are aware to keep an eye on those areas.”
The father’s concern about his daughter’s safety is valid, considering the recent surge in crime across all NYU locations over the past few years.
As of 2024, NYU security has reported 771 criminal incidents at the university’s Greenwich Village, Brooklyn Commons, Midtown Center, Upper East Side, and Kips Bay campuses, marking a 27% increase from the 606 incidents reported by this time in 2022.
Between January 1 and September 30 this year, there have been nine robberies, 10 felony assaults, and five rapes on and around the five NYU campuses.
Last year was even more alarming, with a total of 807 criminal incidents during the same period, including 11 robberies, eight felony assaults, and eight rapes.
All eight reported rapes last year occurred in student housing on the Village campus, as per NYU’s online daily crime log.
Of the five reported rapes this year, three took place in student housing facilities on the Village campus, one in an academic building in the Village, and another in nearby Washington Square Park.
NYU did not have immediate access to crime data prior to 2022.
In the NYPD’s 6th Precinct, which covers NYU’s Village campus, overall crime has decreased by 14%, including in each of the seven major crime categories. However, hate crimes have increased by 55%, from 11 last year to 17 this year, and non-rape sex crimes have also seen an 11% rise, with 52 incidents so far in 2024 compared to 47 during the same period in 2023.
Recently, NYU softball player Alexa Very was assaulted by a man while jogging in Chelsea, resulting in her breaking her hand while defending herself with punches.
Upon being presented with NYU’s crime statistics by The Post, the father expressed his heightened concerns, stating, “I don’t know how to feel about that, honestly. I wasn’t aware of that. It worries me even more.”
The Post also interviewed students on NYU’s Village campus this week, where security guards were visibly present. Many students supported the father’s decision to hire a security consultant.
“It may seem excessive, but I can’t blame them,” said Lou Germain, a 26-year-old French graduate student who witnessed a violent incident nearby. “If you have the means and want your child to be safe, why not?”
“I believe it’s better to be cautious than regretful,” added an 18-year-old freshman from Virginia.
21-year-old Ashley Won from Queens mentioned feeling safe during the day but expressed concerns about nighttime safety due to individuals from the park wandering onto the campus.
Michelle Ip, 20, shared her wariness of the surroundings but stated feeling relatively safe at NYU. “I’m from the Bay Area, where the homeless population can be unpredictable and bothersome. However, in New York, they tend to keep to themselves.”
