NYPD Safety Tips For Visitors

The New York City Police Department would like to make your visit to our city as pleasant and safe as possible. Assertive police strategies have cut crime dramatically since 1993, making this one of the safest large cities in the nation. You can help us further by following these simple tips while touring New York City.

• • • Carry your wallet in an inside jacket pocket or side trouser pocket, never in the rear pocket.
    • Carry pocketbooks in the bend of your elbow, held close to your body. If there is a long strap, wrap it around the bag. Carry credit cards and cash in your pockets.
    • Keep pocketbooks on your lap when dining out, not dangling over the back of a chair. Avoid placing pocketbooks on hooks on the back of a fitting room or bathroom door, where someone can easily reach over and remove them.
    • Leave valuables and important papers, such as jewelry and passports, secured in your hotel’s safe deposit box. Never leave these items unattended in your room or carry large sums of cash on your person.
    • Be wary of unexpected persons coming to your hotel room. Never open the door to unsolicited room service or maintenance people. Contact the Operator “0” if you have any doubts.
    • If you schedule a meeting with a potential client, research the company and the individual with whom you are meeting. Meet in a public place, such as the Owner Lounge.
    • Make sure that luggage is only given to a member of the hotel’s owner valet and a receipt is issued for stored luggage. Never leave luggage or other expensive items unattended in the lobby, at airports or taxi stands.
    • If you choose to use a car service, contact a specific company directly. Never enter an unsolicited “car service” vehicle offering to take you to your destination. Yellow medallion taxis are the only vehicles permitted to pick up fares on the street.
    • Plan your trip in advance and carry a map. Travel on well-lighted, populated roadways whenever possible and keep the doors of the vehicle locked. Be wary of other motorists warning you of a mechanical problem or flat tire. This may be a ruse to get you to stop the vehicle. Most of all be alert and aware of your surroundings at all times to ensure that you aren’t being followed. If you have a cellular phone carry it with you.
    • Remember that no one will offer you something for nothing, so be aware of “con artists” and pick pockets. Some of the “scams” to be aware of are:
      – Someone helping to “clean off” mustard or ketchup that has been squirted on your jacket as a distraction to remove your wallet or other valuable items.
      – Theater, music and sporting event tickets sold on street corners that may be counterfeit.
      – Three Card Monte sidewalk games that are “rigged” to make you lose and are illegal to play.
      – Persons pointing to money, that you have supposedly dropped, who take your briefcase and luggage when you bend down to pick up the money.
      – Finally, if you are in need of immediate police assistance, Dial “911”.