Enter your e-mailaddress and click GO

Go!

Take a minute and tell afriend about Mark.

Members of the Press:click here for quick andeasy access to Greencampaign press releasesand key speeches.

Press Room -- Releases

Joined by 12 Former Commissioners, Green Proposes New Service Line Called “311” to

Relieve Pressure on 911

07/05/01

-- Public Advocate Mark Green today joined former Commissioners from the Wagner,

Lindsay, Beame, Koch, Dinkins and Giuliani administrations to propose a “311 System” to divert

non-

emergency calls from the overloaded “911” and to direct New Yorkers to the proper Cit

ydepartments for assistance.Fifteen cities nation-wide have already adopted 311, which the Clinton Administration securedfrom the Federal Communications Commission for non-emergency calls and to respond to theproblems facing the 911 emergency number. After thirty-years of use, 911 is so well known thathalf of the calls to it are non-

emergency, straining local governments’ capacity to respond to

high-priority problems. In New York City, the 911 System receives over 10 million calls eachyear.

“911 is a success story that should not turn into a failure because of overuse,” Public AdvocateMark Green said. “We currently have the technology to ensure that 911 remains the emergency

hotline it was intended as and that 311 becomes the equivalent for other government services.In addition, much as CompStat tracks crime statistics and helps the Police Department managethe deployment of its resources, 311 can provide City managers with up-to-the minuteinformation on chronic trouble spots and help to measure the responsiveness and productivity

of City agencies.”

New York City currently has at least 39 hotlines for residents to call to find help from Citygovernment. In addition, there are over 350 phone numbers to dial for city services, include 13victim numbers, 76 additional police numbers for non-emergency use, 5 numbers for non-medical emergencies and 272 numbers listed on the "Easy Reference" page of the City'slistings in the phone book.

The Public Advocate’s 1997 and 1999 surveys of agency hotlines foun

d that only about one

third of all agencies managed to answer calls within the required three minutes. The Advocate’s

1999 report, Municipal Services On-Line, also showed that New York City lagged other cities inthe use of the Internet to provide government services. Implementation of a 311 system opensa wide range of possibilities for the use of technology in mapping and managing the need forCity services and the allocation of City resources.

“CompStat is an invaluable tool in fighting crimes,” Former

Police Commissioner Bill Bratton

said. “It provides precinct commanders with up

-to-date information on high risk crime locationsand consequently allows them to better utilize the resources available. 311 can be an equallyvaluable tool, providing New Yorkers with easy access to information about governmentservices, a way to report hazards such as pot holes and broken street lights, and give

managers an effective tool for tracking the productivity of City agencies and employees.”

Lilliam Barrios-Paoli, the former Commissioner of the Department of Employment, among other

agencies, said “311 will put New Yorkers in touch with the government that serves them. It will

allow them to more effectively be the eyes and ears of City agencies. It will also help New YorkCity as an employer, providing New Yorkers interested in public service up-to-date informationon available jobs and companies that work with the City information on contracts and services

needed. It’s a smart idea that will improve our safety and overall quality of life.”

Marilyn Gelber, former Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner, explained how311 would help DEP respond to a variety of complaints ranging from open fire hydrants to noise

pollution and street leaks. “311 is really a lin

k between government, communities and

households throughout the City,” Ms. Gelber said. “Not only will it help individual New Yorkers

report problems and find solutions, it will help managers in every City agency identify trendsand move to correct them sw

iftly.”According to Jack Krauskopf, former Human Resources Administration Commissioner, “Many

of the people who depend on the Human Resources Administration confront basic andemergency needs for their livelihood, including food, housing and healthcare. If you are a singlemother in need of shelter or parent in search of childcare in order to work, you should be ableto find out quickly and accurately where to turn for help. 311 can enhance services for thesepeople as well as help the government employee

s who are dedicated to assisting them.”Chris Lynn, the former Transportation Commissioner, said, “The Transportation Department

interacts with every New Yorker every day. 311 will allow that Department and others to reachout to New Yorkers and get them involved in reporting on the quality of City services. 311 will

cut through the bureaucracy for New Yorkers and make the entire City more efficient.”

Douglas White, the former head of the City Department of Personnel and the State HumanRights Commission,

concluded, “Especially when it comes to human rights issues, we need to

encourage people to report bias incidents and any form of discrimination. 311 will not onlyencourage people to report these violations, it will help the various agencies that deal with them

to better coordinate their responses.”

In addition to the Commissioners quoted above, six others have joined Green to supportimplementing a 311 system in New York City. A list of all Commissioners and their letter ofsupport is below.Results for 311 have been impressive in other cities. In Baltimore, the first City to introduce 311in 1996, the volume on 911 was reduced by 20%, its average answer time by 60% and busysignals by 68%. Reports indicate that because of the reduced burden of responding to 911calls, officers had as much as ninety minutes to two and a half hours per shift of additional timeto focus on community policing. Dallas was the first major city to try an all-purpose 311 system.The response was so great that the City was able to forgo any advertising of the new number.Other cities with 311 include: Austin, Chicago, Rochester, Los Angeles, Las Vegas andWashington, D.C.The projected cost for implementing a 311 system in New York City is a one-time investment ofnine to ten mi

llion dollars. It’s anticipated, based on costs in other cities, that there will be an

annual operating cost of approximately $625,000 to maintain and run the system.-------------------------------NEW YORK CITY COMMISSIONERS FOR 311We are writing to

express our support for your proposal to implement a “311 System” in New

York City. This is just the kind of forward-looking innovation that New York City governmentneeds to improve customer service and free up important resources for emergency response.311 systems are being successfully implemented around the country, and the prospect ofbringing this innovation to New York City is exciting.