New Yorkers for Parks: Testify in support of PEP at the 6/23 Public Safety Hearing

Testify in support of PEP at the 6/23 Public Safety Hearing

Next week, the City Council’s Committee on Public Safety is holding a hearing on public safety in parks. This is an opportunity to call for the urgently needed restoration of funding for our Parks Enforcement Patrol (PEP) officers.

When: Monday, June 23 at 10:00 AM

Where: City Hall Council Chambers (and via Zoom)

Testify: Click here to submit testimony, or register to testify virtually/in-person

As we know, PEP officers are not NYPD—they are uniformed Parks staff who play a vital role in keeping our parks safe, particularly through de-escalation and community engagement.

We invite coalition members to submit written testimony or testify in person or virtually to show strong support for PEP staffing.

See the talking points below and reach out if you’d like support drafting testimony or strategizing your message. And please let us know if you plan to participate!

Talking Points: Oversight – Law Enforcement’s Role in Keeping City Parks Safe.

City Council Chambers – Monday June 23, 2025, 10:00 AM

The best way to keep parks safe is by staffing them with NYC Parks workers and ensuring they are in a good state of repair, maintained, and monitored.
NYC Parks has lost nearly 800 workers in the last three years, reducing the agency’s ability to do this important work.
I stand with the Play Fair for Parks Coalition and urge the Mayor and City Council to allocate $79.7M in the FY26 budget to restore and strengthen NYC Parks’ workforce and programs, including funding for 60 Parks Enforcement Patrol (PEP) Officers.
PEP Officers are a visible, uniformedpresence trained and equipped to address the range of potential safety issues in city parks. They offer first aid, provide crowd control, connect at-risk individuals with social services, and are authorized to issue summonses and arrests.
PEP Officers are unionized, career civil servants. Expanding this workforce means more stable, middle-class jobs for New Yorkers, a stronger, more accountable city workforce, and a safer parkssystem.
PEP Officers ensure fair and consistent enforcement of park rules, enhancing quality of life and public trust and preventing an environment ofdisorder.
As the city invests in new and expanded parks and parks programs, it must also invest in the personnel who keep these spaces safe, usable, and thriving.

Thank you and don’t hesitate to reach out with any questions or comments.

Best,

Kathy Park Price (she/her)

Director, Advocacy & Policy

New Yorkers for Parks

Phone: 212-838-9410 (ext. 705)