Commissioner Dalton presents crime and safety data trends

Looking at what the data that we have shows as it pertains to shelter safety, I want to separate two different kinds of information.

The first

is crime information.

Those are NYPD complaints and arrests at our shelter addresses, serious violent incidents tracked in the mayor's management report, and complaints residents make to DSS about assault, harassment, and how they are treated.

The second is day-to-day health and safety needs of the people we serve, which show up in 911 calls and incidents our providers report.

A medical emergency is not a crime, so these need to be counted and considered separately.

I'll share rates per thousand so that the great growth in the shelter population doesn't distort the trends.

Looking at part one, crime and safety complaints.

Arrests at shelter addresses have fallen per resident since FY23, and serious violence is declining.

The mayor's management report shows that in single adult shelters where the rates are the highest, serious violent incidents fell 13% last year to 2.8 per 1,000 residents, down from 4.8 in FY22.

In family shelters, the rate fell or held steady at well below 1 per 1,000.

Residents'own complaints add something police data can't compare.

can't capture, rather.

Complaints to DSS about discrimination, assault, and harassment rose 19% this year, and complaints about interactions between staff and clients rose 46%.

More people are raising complaints, not just the same people calling more often.

These complaints tell us residents don't always feel safe or respected, and that's something we can take direct action to improve.

Looking at the health and safety needs.

911 calls.

Calls include calls made by staff, and close to 40% of those are medical.

So many reflect people getting the help when they need it.

Calls per resident rose last year, most sharply in safe havens and stabilization sites, which serve people with some of the most significant needs.

We are watching calls about disputes and disorders most closely because they are also rising.

Calls about assault and violence are a small share, and they have fallen since fiscal year 23.

Incidents reported by providers have been roughly level.

A third are accidents, health concerns, and hospitalizations.

Serious incidents among single adults have declined each year since fiscal year 23.

Including a 13% drop over the last two years.

The most serious measure of safety is found in the mortality data.

The death rate in shelter has fallen by two-thirds in three years, from about 11 per thousand residents in FY22 to 3.5 in FY25, the lowest since fiscal year 2018.

Part of that reflects a younger population with more children, but the number of deaths also fell from 512 to 305, while the shelter population nearly doubled.

Drug-related deaths across the homeless population fell 28% last year, but still account for 40% of all deaths, and 42 of the 73 people who died in a shelter in FY25 died of an overdose.

The people we serve are also getting older.

The share of deaths amongst people 65 and older rose from 13% to 17% in one year.

Naloxone in every building, treatment and medical care for an aging population are safety measures as well.

The overall picture is real progress with clear work ahead.

Arrests and serious violence are down and fewer people are dying in our care.

At the same time, conflicts, condition in our commercial hotels and residents'concerns about how they are treated show us that there's where our focus needs to be.

Our goal is shelters that are safe and dignified for everyone who lives and works in them.