Lincoln Square conveys a sense of community more often associated with a small town than an urban neighborhood. Much of the credit goes to the friendly, familiar faces of the BID’s uniformed Public Safety Officers. These well-trained, unarmed, and licensed officers walk their assigned beats each day, offering aid and information to Lincoln Square’s residents, workers, students, and visitors.
Easily identifiable in their BID-branded uniforms, Lincoln Square’s helpful Public Safety Officers (PSO) supplement the work of the New York City Police Department (NYPD). Currently contracted from Arrow Security, the Public Safety patrol maintains a constant presence in Lincoln Square seven days a week.
Deterrents to crime, the Public Safety Officers spot problems and address them before they can escalate. The teamwork between the NYPD and the Public Safety team has paid off: Lincoln Square has never been safer. Often the first at the scene of an emergency, the Public Safety officers quickly analyze the situation and determine whether to summon the NYPD, the Fire Department, or ambulance services.
Performing double duty as Lincoln Square’s ambassadors to the public, Public Safety Officers also provide visitors with neighborhood guides and helpful directions when assistance is needed. They are quick to offer a hand—assisting people to cross the street safely, gather themselves after a fall and retrieve lost items.
At the beginning of each shift, Public Safety Officers check in at the BID’s operational field location, a workspace generously provided by Ogden CAP Properties. The Public Safety Officers use Lighthouse, an electronic guard touring system, requiring officers to check in at 30 locations and designed to help improve efficiency and track the officers. To ensure contact between the officers and the BID office, each officer carries a two-way radio.
Our Public Safety Officers are uniquely equipped to address quality of life issues. Through their vigilant patrols, they act as the district’s eyes and ears, promptly identifying and addressing concerns such as potholes, uncollected trash, illegal vending, illegal parking, construction, and malfunctioning streetlights.
The PSOs also monitor the presence of unhoused and emotionally disturbed individuals in the district, and the BID staff reports their findings to the City. While citywide crime has decreased, our PSOs and staff have observed an increase in the number of individuals in need in our neighborhood. To address this, the BID works with the City’s Department of Social Services, Goddard Riverside Community Center, the City’s Manhattan Outreach Consortium, and local law enforcement to try and get these individuals the support and assistance they need. With the City’s help we have been successful at addressing several encampments over the last few years.
In a typical year, the Public Safety team submits more than 8,000 reports, some of which are submitted to New York City’s 311 hotline, and, when necessary, they do not hesitate to call 911 to ensure the district remains safe and well-maintained.
Our vigilant PSOs, Clean Team, and BID staff work together, often finding valuable lost property. This year, we returned property, including backpacks, phones, wallets, and ID cards to their rightful owners.
The BID is a member of the Executive Advisory Subcommittee of the NYPD Shield, the Manhattan DA’s Small Business Alliance, and sits on the Mayor’s Retail Task Force, which identifies program-oriented solutions and enhanced enforcement efforts to combat retail theft.