Op-Ed | Call 911 or 311 for emergencies rather than post on social media

Every day in our communities, residents encounter problems that affect quality of life and public safety: flooding, reckless driving, illegal dumping, suspicious activity, fires, noise complaints, broken infrastructure and crimes in progress.

Too often, however, the first reaction is not to call 911 or file a 311 complaint. Instead, people post about it on Facebook, upload a video to social media or call an elected official’s office first.

That has become a growing problem.

Let me be clear: social media is not a replacement for 911 or 311, and elected officials are not emergency dispatchers.

If there is an emergency happening in real time, the first call should always be to 911. Not the precinct. Not a community Facebook group. Not a neighbor. And not an elected official’s office.

There is a reason emergency calls are routed through 911 dispatchers. They are trained professionals who gather critical information while police officers, firefighters or EMS personnel are already being dispatched to the scene. They know what questions to ask, how to prioritize calls and how to relay information quickly and accurately to first responders.

That system exists for a reason, and bypassing it can delay response times and create confusion during emergencies.

There is another issue that many people do not realize: when incidents are not properly reported, they are often not properly counted.

If residents constantly complain about crime or dangerous conditions online but never officially report them, it creates gaps in the data used to allocate resources and determine enforcement priorities. Those statistics influence staffing decisions, patrol deployment, infrastructure planning and funding.

A crime that never gets reported becomes a statistic that never exists.

The same principle applies to 311.

My office frequently advocates on behalf of constituents regarding flooding, illegal dumping, potholes, noise complaints, broken streetlights, sanitation issues, abandoned vehicles and many other quality-of-life concerns. One of the first things agencies often tell us is: “We’re not seeing many 311 complaints about this issue.”

That matters.

Every 311 complaint creates a data point. It creates documentation. It establishes a pattern. It gives communities leverage when demanding action from city agencies.

Without those reports, agencies can minimize or dismiss problems because the official numbers do not reflect what residents are actually experiencing.

We are fortunate to live in a time when nearly everyone carries a smartphone in their pocket. Filing a 311 complaint takes minutes. Calling 911 takes seconds. There is little excuse today not to report issues properly.

And for those who hesitate to call 911 because they are afraid of “wasting police time” or fear getting in trouble if the situation turns out not to be serious, let me reassure you: if you are acting in good faith, you are doing the right thing.

Dispatchers and first responders would much rather investigate a call that turns out to be minor than miss an emergency because someone chose not to report it.

That does not mean every issue requires a dramatic response, but it does mean residents should not become complacent or assume someone else will handle it.

We have all heard the phrase: “If you see something, say something.”

That mindset still matters.

Strong communities depend on engaged residents who are willing to take responsibility for reporting problems properly. Government works best when citizens actively participate in the process instead of assuming someone else will do it for them.

By all means, contact elected officials afterward so we can help follow up and push agencies to respond appropriately. Community groups and social media can also help spread awareness. But the first step must always be reporting the issue through the proper channels.

Call 911 for emergencies.

Use 311 for city service and quality-of-life issues.

Help us create the data, accountability and response needed to improve our neighborhoods. Because at the end of the day, the squeaky wheel only gets the grease if someone actually reports the problem.

Phil Wong is Council Member for the 30th Council District, which comprises Maspeth, Middle Village and parts of Ridgewood, Glendale, Elmhurst and Rego Park.