More Than Half Of NYC 911 Calls Not About Crime, Study Shows

NEW YORK, NY — A review of millions of emergency calls routed to the New York City Police Department found most police responses last year involved incidents dispatchers described as unrelated to criminal activity, according to a study released Wednesday by the Vera Institute of Justice.

Researchers analyzed more than 3.6 million calls that prompted a police response in 2025 and found only 42 percent were labeled by 911 dispatchers as “crime related.”

Police officers were more often sent to handle complaints that did not involve an alleged crime, including personal disputes, utility problems, traffic conditions and vehicle accidents, the report said.

Only 28 percent of the calls involved reports of a crime in progress, most frequently assault, larceny and harassment. Just 9% of the calls involved reports of violent crimes, the analysis found.

Another 53 percent of calls were classified as “possible crimes,” including reports of suspicious people or suspected drug activity, while 19 percent involved reports of crimes that had already occurred.

The researchers concluded that 58 percent of calls resulting in police responses involved what they categorized as “non-crime related” activity. The group recommended city officials explore creating civilian teams to respond to many of those calls rather than sending police officers.

The findings arrive as Zohran Mamdani has proposed creating a Department of Community Safety aimed at reducing the number of police responses to certain emergency calls. The mayor has not released details about the proposed agency or named a leader but said he plans to accelerate an announcement following the recent shooting of Chakraborty, who survived and faces attempted assault charges.

In a statement responding to questions about the report, an NYPD spokesperson challenged the study’s conclusions and the way calls were categorized.

“This report fundamentally mischaracterizes when and why police officers are dispatched to emergencies,” NYPD spokesperson Erika Tannor told the CITY. “The authors lead New Yorkers to believe that calls involving anything from a possible bomb, to a suspicious package or dispute with a firearm, are characterized as ‘non-crime call types.’ This is obviously inaccurate and does not reflect the work our officers do to keep New Yorkers safe.”

A spokesperson for the Vera Institute said the analysis included some nonviolent domestic dispute calls in the conflict resolution category because alternative response programs in several other cities handle similar calls.

The report also classified certain “quality of life” complaints as non-crime calls. Those reports have drawn increased attention within the department. At the direction of Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch, dispatchers began formally labeling such calls starting July 1 last year.

Through the end of 2025, dispatchers logged about 155,000 quality-of-life calls, according to the 911 data analyzed by researchers. Police officials have said those calls often involve complaints about noise, illegal vending, issues with electric bikes and abandoned vehicles.