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Westchester Police Monitor 'Takeover' Posts as Malls Flagged on Target List

Social media monitoring with public tip lines forms the core deterrent.

Overview

  • Westchester’s Real Time Crime Center is scouring online chatter and camera feeds and has compiled potential locations, focusing on Yonkers, Mount Vernon and New Rochelle.
  • Yonkers police say they have well-practiced protocols and will respond with zero hesitation, while actively watching citywide camera networks for unusual crowd patterns.
  • County officials report seeing posts that name local malls, with the Cross County Center in Yonkers cited on circulating lists, though no Westchester incidents have been confirmed.
  • A Presidents' Day surge at the Mall at Bay Plaza in the Bronx, involving roughly 200 youths and 18 charges, prompted the heightened posture in neighboring counties.
  • Public Safety Commissioner Terrance Raynor urged teens to avoid these gatherings and asked parents to counsel children, while promoting tip lines at 800-898-TIPS, tips@wccops.com and the WCPD mobile app.