Despite a surge in knife slashings across the city, Norwood businesses are shrugging it off, having pointed to their own internal protocols should someone seek to buy a blade.

Tony Enamorado, an employee at Jerry’s Hardware doesn’t let his guard down. He told the Norwood News that before selling a box cutter or knife to a patron, the weapons of choice for the recent slashings, he always checks ID and their demeanor, to make sure that the person is not under the influence.

Enamorado also pointed out that the surveillance cameras within the store offer an extra level of security. Police can access a live feed of the security cameras in the store from their patrol car just by obtaining Enamorado’s IP address.

But the cause of the increase in slashings still remains unclear. While some say the boost in slashings is a result of a copycat mentality, where media coverage on the knife attacks inspire other criminals to do the same, one criminal justice professor believes the surge can be attributed to a lack of police presence.

Dr. Darrin Porcher, a professor at Monroe College and a legal analyst and consultant in criminal court cases, believes that the slashings may be attributed to a lack uniformed police officers in areas where the slashings have occurred. “Criminals are opportunists and they strike when the opportunity presents itself to them to commit these crimes,” he said. “As of lately, the opportunity has presented itself to criminals to commit these crimes and therefore they are following through with the slashings.”

Porcher dismissed claims of copycat slashers, pointing to the number of victims who knew their attacker.

At a news conference on Feb. 23, NYPD Chief of Detectives Robert Boyce noted that slashings and stabbings have indeed gone up to 567, compared to 470 last year, about a 20 percent increase. And 56 of these attacks have occurred in the Bronx, the latest happening at East 181st Street and the Grand Concourse, where a man was slashed on his hand and wrist. Boyce assured the public the police have the manpower to tackle the incidents, given the extra 2,000 cops now walking the beat.

The latest incident happened March 2 at the Dunkin’ Donuts on 2 E. Kingsbridge Road. Police say a clerk was slashed by a vagrant lounging around the coffee chain.

“The worker asked him to leave. She closes the door. He comes back and slashes her across the face,” said Inspector Nilda Hofmann at the latest Bedford Mosholu Community Association. “Thank goodness the cops were by the Dunkin’ Donuts. He gets immediately arrested.”

This makes the latest slashing the precinct’s 30th knife-related attack this year, an increase from 24 knife-related attacks from the same time last year.

On Feb. 21, two other slashings occurred just hours apart, one on Holland Avenue off Burke Avenue and another along East 173rd Street and Southern Boulevard.

NYPD Commissioner Bill Bratton, also at the news conference, said that media attention gives the impression that overall crime in the city is higher, when, in fact shootings and murders are down.

“If it bleeds, it leads – that’s your business. Right now, the stabbings, the slashings, the cuttings – you have a tendency to conflate it because it is very confusing,” said Bratton.