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Mayor Adams Expands Public Safety Communications with NYC Public Safety Account on Citizen App

Strategic Insights

— 2 min read

New York City Mayor Eric Adams announced the launch of a new city-run account, "NYC Public Safety," on the Citizen app, which provides real-time notifications about nearby emergencies and ongoing incidents to over 3 million subscribers across the five boroughs. This initiative aims to keep New Yorkers informed and safe by breaking down communication siloes and utilizing technology to protect communities.

Key Takeaways:

  • The NYC Public Safety account will compile public safety alerts and notifications from across public safety agencies to share public safety updates and incident information directly with Citizen users.
  • The account will publish public safety-related announcements, alerts about major incidents or weather emergencies, safety tips about crime patterns and scams, and updates to high-profile incidents.
  • Designated public safety agencies, including the NYPD, FDNY, and NYCEM, will have secure access to a dashboard to view and download user-submitted videos from incident scenes, potentially aiding investigations and after-action reviews.
  • The city will be able to send geo-targeted push notifications to users citywide based on neighborhood, zip code, or borough.
  • The initiative has been launched at no cost to the city, expanding on the Adams administration's commitment to using technology to protect residents.
  • Over 1.2 million New Yorkers are enrolled in NotifyNYC, the city's official emergency notification system, which is available in 14 languages, including American Sign Language.
  • The "NYC Public Safety" account on Citizen adds another layer to the city's public safety communication strategies, helping to reach even more residents with timely, verified information from official sources.

Statistics:

  • Over 3 million New Yorkers are subscribed to the Citizen app.
  • The city has invested $1.6 million to equip bodegas with emergency buttons to combat retail theft and protect staff and customers.
  • New York City has led the nation in utilizing drone technology to keep residents safe, including the creation of the "Drone as First Responder" program.
  • Over 1.2 million New Yorkers are enrolled in NotifyNYC, the city's official emergency notification system.
  • The NotifyNYC system is available in 14 languages, including American Sign Language.
  • The city has launched several initiatives, including a program allowing businesses to voluntarily share security camera footage with the NYPD to aid in criminal investigations.

Sources:

  • [1] New York City Office of the Mayor, "Mayor Adams Expands Public Safety Communications with NYC Public Safety Account on Citizen App to Keep New Yorkers Safe and Informed" (July 20, 2025)
  • [2] YouTube, "Mayor Adams Expands Public Safety Communications with NYC Public Safety Account on Citizen App" (July 20, 2025)
  • [3] New York City Department of Transportation, "Automated Enforcement Efforts to Keep Streets Safe" (May 2025)
  • [4] New York City Police Department, "Drone as First Responder Program" (2025)
  • [5] NotifyNYC, "Emergency Notification System" (2025)

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