Date: 3/27/2024
To: The NYU Community
From: NYU Department of Campus Safety
Re: Safety Advisory - Recent Reports of Assaults in New York City
Campus Safety is aware of reports on social media of female-presenting individuals being assaulted in several New York City neighborhoods—mostly in lower Manhattan, including in areas near Washington Square Park—while walking on the sidewalk. In these social media posts, the individuals indicate that they were struck in the face or the head as they were looking at their phones.
The Campus Safety Department’s records do not reflect having received any direct reports of these or similar incidents involving NYU community members. We have also checked with the NYPD’s 6th Precinct, and their records also do not reflect these or similar incidents. Nevertheless, Campus Safety continues to monitor the exterior areas near our facilities for indications of these incidents or any safety concerns.
Given the social media posts, we recommend paying additional attention to your surroundings as you navigate the city on foot, whether it is near campus or in other neighborhoods. We also suggest:
- Keeping your phone and other valuables in a pocket or secured.
- Listening to music with only one earbud, or covering only one ear with headphones, so that you can be better aware of what’s going on around you.
- Stepping inside an NYU building, corner store, or other location if you need to use your phone.
Our team is here to support you. If you experience an incident and need emergency assistance, please promptly contact 911 and then Campus Safety at 212.998.2222. For non-emergency concerns, please contact Campus Safety.
We understand that messages and incidents like this can be concerning. If you'd like to talk to someone, please reach out to the Wellness Exchange anytime at 212.443.9999. For questions related to academics, please reach out to student.affairs@nyu.edu.