An inside look at Campus Safety's Communications Center, located at 370 Jay Street.

An inside look at Campus Safety's Communications Center, located at 370 Jay Street.

Campus Safety operates a 24 hours a day, 7 days a week Communications Center at the University's 370 Jay Street location in Brooklyn. Messages from NYU community members across campuses and the globe are funneled to this team of APCO certified, trained telecommunication professionals who work with callers and texters to understand their needs and provide resources.

The Communcations Center functions as the main answering point for the Department, processing an average of 7,000+ calls for service each month from all NYU academic sites both global and domestic. The Communications Center also monitors more than 4,000 campus cameras and 3,100 alarm access points, 22 emergency call boxes, and the Safe NYU app.  

Our passion is customer service, and our priority is the safety of our community. 

On this page: How to Contact Us | When to Call 911 vs. Campus Safety | What to Expect When You Contact our Communications Center | Additional Services Available through the Communications Center

How to Contact Us

NYU community members have several ways to contact Campus Safety, including via phone, text, or by activating an emergency call box.

  • Phone: Calling 212.998.2222 will connect you to our 24/7 Communications Center and a Dispatcher on a recorded line to receive immediate assistance.
  • Text: From within the Safe NYU app, NYU community members can text a Dispatcher in our Communications Center 24/7 to receive real-time assistance.
  • Emergency Call Box: Pressing the Call button on one of our Emergency Call Boxes will connect you with a Dispatcher in our 24/7 Communications Center who can provide immediate assistance and send a team member to your location.

When to Call 911 versus Campus Safety

When seconds count, getting to the right service immediately is critical. Below are some guidelines.

Call 911 when lives may be at stake, or there is the prospect of serious injury, serious crime, or serious danger:

  • medical emergencies
  • fires
  • violent crimes, particularly if the criminal may still be in the vicinity and/or if the crime involves a weapon
  • active threat incidents

In instances like these, we at Campus Safety would call 911.

Call NYU's Department of Campus Safety (212.998.2222) for:

  • incidents of non-violent theft

  • suspicious activity

  • trespassing

  • inquiries regarding security services in buildings, including ID cards and CC camera footage

  • all other non-violent crimes

Generally speaking, if it is a life-threatening emergency or crime, call 911.  For all other incidents, please feel free to call us at Campus Safety at 212-998-2222. We would also encourage you to alert Campus Safety on emergency matters after calling 911 in order to access support services and coordinate follow up enforcement.

Read more tips for reporting an incident here.

What to Expect When You Contact Our Communications Center

Our team follows a specific order of questions when answering your calls at our Communications Center. Below is a summary of what you can expect when you call along with an explanation of why we will ask for particular details and information.

  1. Our Dispatchers will announce themselves and communicate that you are on a recorded line. We record our calls for quality assurance and in case they need to be referred to for follow up purposes.
  2. Location - If no other information is given, as long as we know WHERE you are, we can send help. This is the minimum amount of information needed to send out help. Giving a full description of your location is critical. Key location details include:
    1. The building name and/or address and the specific area or room number. Example: “I’m on the second floor of the Kimmel Center. Room 209.”
    2. If not inside a building, do your best to describe what is/was around you. Example: “I was standing in front of the Starbucks on West 4th Street.”
    3. If you are no longer at the location of occurrence, it is important you tell us where it happened, and where you contacting us from. It can be common for location of the incident and the location of the caller to change. Example: “It happened in the courtyard here at 3rd North, but I’m in my room now. Room 2011.”  
  3. Call Back Number - Now that we have your location, or the location that needs help, we want to ensure that if for some reason we get disconnected, we can get back in touch, ensuring the information gathering stage is as direct as possible. 
  4. What Happened - We want to know as much detail as possible as to what occurred. The Dispatcher may start asking you clarifying or direct questions to ensure they are properly understanding and documenting everything involved. Depending on the nature of the incident, his may include asking about possible injuries, weapons, or a description of a person involved.
  5. We will ask for your name, your NYU affiliation and N Number, if applicable

Additional Services Available by Contacting the Communications Center

Victim Services

If you are calling to speak with a member of our Victim Services team, please specify to the Communications Center staff your request. Please specify you are looking to speak with our Victim Services team. Learn more about our Victim Services Unit.