New Year's Day stabbing in Atlantic City highlights safety crisis in resort corridors
Two deadly knife attacks in Atlantic City on New Year's Day are not believed to be one incident, police said.
Police said they responded to the first stabbing around 6:15 a.m. Monday. This happened after I received a 9-1-1 call about a man bleeding on Southern California Avenue (the three blocks between Atlantic Avenue and Atlantic Avenue). and boardwalk.
The victim, Vincent O'Brien III, 50, was found bleeding near the Tropicana parking lot. He died after being taken to Atlantic City Regional Medical Center. Just an hour later, police said they received another emergency call about a stabbing. The victim, 22-year-old Nazir Cintron, was pronounced dead at the scene. He was found at Bally's on Michigan Avenue and the Boardwalk.
The Atlantic County Prosecutor's Office Major Crimes Unit is seeking the public's help investigating these cases. Anyone with information is asked to call the department at 609-909-7666 or submit an anonymous tip on the ACPO.tips website.
Safety first
In 2023, Atlantic City casinos experienced their best gaming year since 2018.Nine casinos generated a combined profit of more than $2.6 billion from land-based slot machines and table games.
People are very optimistic about the future of the local gaming industry. But casino executives say a major issue holding back Atlantic City's renaissance is rising crime. Jim Allen, chairman of Hard Rock International, is one of the most vocal critics of local government.
Allen, whose company owns and operates the Hard Rock Hotel in Atlantic City, said the city's performance in 2020 was worse than in 2017, when the company acquired the shuttered Trump Taj Mahal. Allen criticized the city for not quickly repairing street lights that had been out for months.
If you’re in a resort where safety is so important and the city can’t fix something as simple as a street light, then changes may need to be made,” Allen said.
The change is finally coming as Atlantic City makes major investments to better protect the casino city. About 200 cameras are currently being installed across the city as part of a $5 million federally funded security plan. Each camera has five independent lenses, providing 360-degree surveillance.
“Public safety is extremely important in Atlantic City,” said Atlantic City Police Chief James Saccos. Saccos called the cameras a "great investment" and believes the expanded security network will "make Atlantic City safer for everyone."
In addition to the camera system, Atlantic City is also moving ahead with the narrowing of Atlantic Avenue from four lanes to two lanes between Boston Avenue. and New Hampshire Avenue. First. The aim of the project is to provide more pedestrian and cycle lanes while reducing vehicle traffic on the main street.
Crime Peak
One bright spot of the pandemic has been the drop in crime rates in many major U.S. cities, including Atlantic City. Unfortunately it has been restored.
Aggravated assaults in Atlantic City increased nearly 11 percent last year, to 355. Robberies increased about 2.5% to 194. Atlantic City recorded 7 murders, one more than in 2022.
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Source: www.casino.org
