Parents in a Bronx neighborhood are pushing back as Mayor Zohran Mamdani pursues cuts to NYPD funding while families say their kids are at increasing risk at a dangerous school crossing. More than 1,000 people signed a petition asking for a crossing guard at Zeta Bronx Tremont Park Lower Elementary, and residents who once backed the mayor now want more officers on the street. Local witnesses reported repeated near-misses at the intersection of Arthur Avenue and Tremont Avenue, and the NYPD says it is coordinating with the community on safety measures.
The mayor’s budget moves, including canceling plans for thousands of new NYPD hires, have become a flashpoint in neighborhoods that want more visible policing. Parents argue public safety is a basic responsibility of city government, and they see a direct conflict between policy choices that reduce patrols and the daily reality of school traffic and crime. That tension is playing out at a particularly hazardous corner near a charter school where residents say a tragedy is waiting to happen.
Over 1,000 people have signed a Change.org petition supporting the families of Zeta Bronx Tremont Park Lower Elementary school, who are requesting an NYPD crossing guard to be assigned to a treacherous corner, where they say a tragic accident is waiting to happen. The petition asks for a dedicated traffic officer during arrival and dismissal hours and notes that traffic officers are assigned at busy school crossings across the city. Parents say their children deserve the same protection other schools receive and that the ask is modest and urgent.
Reporters visited the intersection at Arthur Avenue and Tremont Avenue and found a chaotic commute that parents say puts students at real risk every morning. “The situation is very horrible for the kids and the parents too,” Aimee, a parent at the school, said. “There have always been small accidents on the street because the intersection crosses to go right to the highway, and it’s something that worries us a lot. They don’t take us into consideration and I feel that we should raise our voice for the entire community of the school.”
Parents say the school has petitioned officials for help before and keeps hearing there are no personnel to spare, even while police vehicles sit idle nearby. A parent named Christine explained that the school has been trying to get a crossing guard or police officer “for a long time” but were told “they didn’t have anyone.” “[There have] almost been accidents so many times, and we really need help,” Christine said.
Some families who supported Mamdani’s campaign say his moves on policing have left them uneasy, and they want resources returned to streets and schools. “Removing or preventing us from having 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. “I am one of those who initially had a lot of faith in Mayor Mamdani, but I’m starting to get scared because he doesn’t seem aware of the actual needs of my community. The safety of my child and my own students is non-negotiable, and we must find the funding to keep our little ones safe.”
Aimee put it bluntly to reporters, arguing the ask is simple and practical. Aimee told Fox News Digital “we need more police” to “help us” and urged the mayor to “consider us.” Lou, another parent, described the spot as “very dangerous” and said many drivers simply “don’t abide by the law,” creating a daily hazard for kids and families trying to get to school.
Onlookers documented several close calls at the corner, with cars making illegal turns, sudden stops and frequent honking while children were being escorted into the building. The Change.org petition requests a “dedicated traffic officer” during arrival and dismissal hours at the school and argues that “traffic officers are assigned at busy school crossings across New York City” and the children at the charter school “deserve the same protection” as those public schools. “I don’t get why he’s saying less cops or less funding,” Paola told Fox News Digital, adding that the neighborhood is also suffering from crime issues related to drugs. “There has to be money somewhere.”
City police officials say they are coordinating with community leaders and other agencies to reduce danger at the intersection. “The Commanding Officer of the 48 precinct is working with community leaders and elected officials to get more School Crossing Guards.” “Additionally, personnel from the 48 precinct are working with Department of Transportation to work on additional signage and redesign of the intersection. Year-to-date, there have been no collisions at the intersection Arthur Avenue and East Tremont Avenue. Year-to-date, the NYPD has issued 67 summonses to vehicles in the vicinity of Arthur Avenue and East Tremont Street. Traffic safety is a shared responsibility and the NYPD, along with personnel from the 48 precinct, are committed to supporting local schools in achieving that goal.”
Mamdani carried the Bronx in last year’s mayoral contest, winning 51% of the borough’s vote compared with 40% for former Governor Andrew Cuomo and 7% for Republican Curtis Sliwa, but voters who put him over the top now want him to address these street-level safety concerns. For parents at Zeta, this is not political theory; it is about crossing guards, traffic officers and visible law enforcement where kids walk to school. The demand from the neighborhood is straightforward: restore resources, protect children, and treat safety as the non-negotiable priority it is.
