First on Fox: NEW YORK – As New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani opposes calls to cut the NYPD’s budget and hire more police officers, parents in the Bronx are demanding more police, citing an increased threat to their children.
The push highlights the growing tension between the mayor’s policing agenda and the safety concerns of local families.
More than 1,000 people have signed a Change.org petition supporting the families of Zeta Bronx Tremont Park Lower Elementary School, who are asking NYPD crossing guards to move to the treacherous corner, where they say a tragic accident is waiting to happen.
Fox News Digital went to the busy intersection of Arthur Avenue and Tremont Avenue to talk to parents about the dangers their children face every day as cars head onto Interstate 95.
“The situation is very scary for the children as well as the parents,” said Amy, a school parent. “There are always small accidents on the road because the intersection is to go to the highway, and it’s something that worries us a lot. They don’t consider us and I think we have to raise our voice for the whole school community.”
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Mayor Zohran Mamdani speaking at an event.
(Getty Images)
One parent, Christine, said the school had been trying to get a crossing guard or police officer for “a long time” but was told “they don’t have anybody.” Several NYPD vehicles could be seen parked near the intersection but were empty, and parents told Fox News Digital they were from a nearby station and were not monitoring the street crossing.
“[There have] There have been many near misses, and we really need help,” Christine said.
Fox News Digital reached out to Mayor Mamdani’s office for comment but did not receive a response.
Mamdani has faced criticism over his relationship with the police during his mayoral campaign, which has been surrounded by questions about his past support for defunding the police. After being elected, Mamdani was again in the hot seat of critics when his budget cut police funding and Canceling 5,000 new NYPD hires.
Some parents near the Bronx school, including some who previously supported Mamdani, aren’t sold on the idea of fewer cops.
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“For us to remove or withhold those resources is a step in the wrong direction when our schools and children clearly need more support,” Paola, a Zeta parent, said in a press release. “We need more preventive officers and programs to keep our neighborhoods safe in the Bronx.”
“I was one of the first to believe in Mayor Mamdani, but I am beginning to fear that he is not aware of the real needs of my community. The safety of my child and my own students is irreplaceable, and we must find funding to keep our little ones safe.”
Amy told Fox News Digital that we need more police to “help us” and asked the mayor to “consider us.”
The Change.org petition requests “dedicated traffic officers” at school arrivals and dismissals and argues that “traffic officers are stationed at busy school crossings throughout New York City” and that charter school children “deserve the same protection” as those in public schools.
One parent, surnamed Lu, described the situation as “very dangerous” and that many vehicles were “not obeying the law”.
Fox News Digital saw several close calls of cars making illegal or dangerous turns at intersections, honking their horns, and stopping suddenly while taking children to a nearby school.
“I don’t know why he’s saying less police or less funding,” Paola told Fox News Digital, adding that the neighborhood also suffers from drug-related crime issues.
“There’s got to be money somewhere.”
In a statement to Fox News Digital, an NYPD spokesperson said, “48 precinct commanding officers are working with community leaders and elected officials to get more school crossing guards.”
“In addition, 48 Precinct personnel are working with the Department of Transportation on additional signage and intersection redesign. Year-to-date, there have been no collisions at the Arthur Avenue and East Tremont Avenue intersection. Year-to-date, the NYPD has issued 67 summonses. Traffic safety is a shared responsibility and the NYPD, along with 48 Precinct personnel, is committed to supporting local schools in achieving that goal.”
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New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani delivers remarks at the Service Employees International Union 32BJ SEIU rally on Park Avenue in Manhattan on April 15, 2026.
Mamdani won the Bronx in November’s mayoral election with 51% of the vote, compared to 40% for former Gov. Andrew Cuomo and 7% for Republican Curtis Sliwa.
Original article source: Bronx neighborhood parents plead for NYPD guard as Mamdani cuts off police, stops rent: ‘Terrible situation’
