The Flatiron/23rd Street Partnership's Public Safety Team, easily recognized by their blue uniforms (white shirts for supervisors), badges and Flatiron patches, is on patrol throughout the district seven days a week.

The Safety Team is under the direct supervision of Scott Kimmins, the BID's Director of Operations, whose intimate knowledge of the district was honed by his 20 years as a member of the New York City Police Department's 13th Precinct.

The Public Safety officers fill a variety of roles in the district, including:

• Acting as neighborhood ambassadors to residents, merchants and visitors, providing directions and assistance.
• Notifying the appropriate authorities about "quality-of-life" concerns, ranging from illegal vendors to uncollected garbage.
• Acting as the eyes and ears of the BID by observing conditions around them, so that suspicious activities can be quickly reported.
• Documenting safety concerns such as malfunctioning traffic lights, broken curbs and potholes.
• Offering appropriate assistance and referrals to the homeless.
• Assisting the appropriate authorities in emergency situations such as traffic accidents or cases of personal injury.

Weekly Crime Prevention Tip: Laptop Theft