As many Christians celebrate the holiest day of the year this Easter Sunday, the New York Police Department is adding more patrols in and around Times Square to prevent gang initiation violence in what they call “Easter Day wilding.”

“Over the years, Easter Sunday has become an unofficial ‘Gang Initiation Day,’ with the Auto Show drawing gang members (and wannabes) to midtown Manhattan,” an article in the Gothamist said. “In 2006, 200 gang members reportedly flooded Times Square, with three stabbings and, in 2010, four people were shot. The 2010 violence was so bad that Mayor Bloomberg called it a ‘wilding.’”

An NBC New York report said there hasn’t been any gang violence on Easter since the 2010 incident, but New York City police officials continue to add patrols at the car show and streets around Times Square.

The New York Daily News also reported that officers are monitoring social media sites for information on any potential gang-related incidents being planned for Easter Sunday.

Watch a report on from NBC NY here:

View more videos at: http://nbcnewyork.com.

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Janeen Capizola

"And though she be but little, she is fierce." And fun! This conservative-minded political junkie, mom of three, dancer and one-time NFL cheerleader holds a bachelor of arts degree in political science. [email protected]. Twitter: @JaneenBPR

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