The Preppie Killer Case & More Set for Tonight's MetroFocus on THIRTEEN

The award-winning series MetroFocus premieres new episodes in the New York and tri-state region weeknights at 5 p.m. on WLIW21, 5:30 p.m. on NJTV and 6 p.m. on THIRTEEN. All episodes are available at metrofocus.org following the broadcast.

The episode descriptions for tonight, Friday, August 19 follow below. Please note episode descriptions are subject to change. Please visit metrofocus.org for the latest information.

Friday, August 19 at 5:00 p.m. on WLIW21, 5:30 p.m. on NJTV and 6:00 p.m. on THIRTEEN - Report: NYC Crime is Down, But Not in Parks - Crime in New York City is at record lows, but not everyone is feeling all that safe. According to a new study from NYC Park Advocates, violent crimes soared 23 percent during a nine-month period compared to the year before. The NYPD responded by saying that crime in parks is rare, and that they are some of the safest places in not only the city, but the entire country. This comes as park safety has been dominating headlines, including the story of Karina Vetrano, the 30-year-old woman whose life was cut short while jogging in a Queens park. Geoffrey Croft, president of NYC Park Advocates, stops by to discuss the study and what he thinks the city should be doing to make parks safer.

The Preppy Killer: 30 Years Later - This month will mark 30 years since Robert Chambers strangled and killed his then 18 year-old friend, Jennifer Levin, in Central Park. THE KILLING and subsequent arrest made headlines as "The Preppy Murder." CBS' 48 HOURS revisits the case with an exclusive interview with Chambers himself. 48 HOURS Senior Executive Producer Susan Zirinsky joins us to discuss the case and the impact it's had on New York City.

Centennial Celebration of the National Park Service - Next Thursday marks 100 years since Woodrow Wilson signed the act that created the National Park Service. In the time that's passed, the number of national parks has grown from 35 parks and monuments to now over 400 areas, covering more than 84 million acres in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and U.S. territories. To commemorate this monumental anniversary, The National Park Service will light up the New York City skyline this Monday in a celebration that features Bill Nye, Questlove, and U.S. Secretary of the Interior, Sally Jewell. The event hopes to inspire new generations to venture out and discover our country's national parks. Karen Sloat Olsen, Chief of Interpretation and Education of the Thomas Edison National Historical Park, will join us to talk about the celebration and The National Park Service's centennial year.

MetroFocus airs nightly on WLIW, Thirteen and NJTV
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MetroFocus Series Overview MetroFocus is an award-winning multi-platform news magazine focusing on the New York and tri-state region. The MetroFocus television program features interviews, in-depth reporting, content from many partners and solutions-oriented reports from the community. Major areas of coverage include sustainability, education, Science and technology, the environment, transportation, poverty and underserved communities. MetroFocus.org amplifies that reporting with daily updates and original stories that also cover culture, government and politics, the economy, urban development and other news in the metropolitan region. More information at: thirteen.org/metrofocus/about-us-faq/

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