Crisis Intervention

If you need to report a crime or need assistance, you may call Public Safety at 212-832-4545 / 212-832-4546 / 212-832-4547 / 212-832-4548. Also, the New York City Police Department has installed a few solar-powered yellow emergency call boxes on poles around the Island for immediate communication with NYPD. For life-threatening fire, police or ambulance emergency assistance, call 911.

Response

Responding to emergency calls is an important part of Public Safety’s duties. When an emergency call comes in, we will immediately contact 911, then dispatch Public Safety Officers to respond. But because we can get to the scene immediately, our officers often handle incidents ranging from verbal disputes to physical assaults. All officers have training in recognizing and dealing with domestic disputes and violence. When the law is broken, we are obliged to make a report to the NYC Police Department; they in turn, may take action.

Other Emergencies

Another type of emergency call we frequently encounter involves the elderly and disabled. Public Safety officers are often called upon to render assistance to people who have fallen in their apartments or have other medical problems, and when necessary direct those with special needs to appropriate agencies. In a voluntary program, residents may post a list of their particular medical requirements inside their apartment doors so that officers responding to emergency calls will be properly informed of those special needs.

The Department also maintains a “Senior Citizen & Handicapped Medical Emergency Log Roster” which includes pertinent medical data regarding the seniors and a list of disabled residents supplied by the Roosevelt Island housing management offices.