Emergency-line operators took 11.7 million calls last year. That's 255,000 fewer than the previous year.
"The net result of that is that New Yorkers are safer because the operators at 911 have the time to focus on the emergency things," Bloomberg said.
Bloomberg said that New Yorkers aren't tying up 911 operators with non-emergency complaints anymore.
"[The 311 line] really has reduced the traffic on 911 so that they can focus on more of the emergency calls that it's set up for," Bloomberg said.
There aren't fewer emergencies, just fewer non-urgent calls to 911, said NYPD spokesman Paul Browne.
"Police resources are scarce and should be reserved for emergencies," he said.
Browne said the city's 311 system is not only a convenient way to get information, it can be a lifesaver, too.
"With emergency calls, life and death is measured in seconds, so when you reduce telephone time by a quarter-million calls, that can translate into saved lives," Browne said.
"A life can hang in the balance when you're waiting to get through to a 911 operator."
