Council Member Santosuosso asks NYPD about park enforcement

I will try to make this brief.

Thank you, Majority Leader.

My question is for the NYPD.

You know, we're talking about pedestrian.

in safety in a lot of ways today when we're talking about micromobility safety and regulating micromobility devices.

And the chair touched on issues in parks specifically.

I know parks is not before us.

But I think one of the things that we haven't talked about as much today is pedestrian safety within parks and the enforcement of micromobility devices where they do not belong already in parks.

So the laws are already there, but enforcement is what we're relying upon.

And I'm bringing this up because in addition to the numerous recurring issues that we have in my district with micromobility devices in parks, we have a park with an outdoor track next to Fort Hamilton High School, if anybody's aware of this.

It's Russell Peterson, next to Russell Peterson.

And this is a place where children and families go to walk and run along this circular track.

The micromobility devices are not permitted on the track.

It's very clear.

There's signage.

This is a recurring issue.

And weeks ago, a child was actually hit and taken in an ambulance to a hospital, hit by a micromobility device.

So we have a persistent problem of a lack of enforcement, which on what is technically parks grounds.

And so my question to you is, when there is a recurring issue within parks, which admittedly parks probably doesn't have the enforcement capacity to,

the capacity to enforce, what does that pipeline look like to the precincts and to the NYPD so we can make sure that there's a regular enforcement presence somewhere like that?

So this goes through the patrol service.

I'm going to ask Chief Alps to answer the question.

Great.

Thank you for that question.

So the average officer on patrol reports up to my office, and we give direction on how to do that type of enforcement.

Very challenging situation, parks, in that individuals sometimes do not stop when we try to stop these individuals.

And it's a very congested area.

There's a lot of pedestrians and people enjoying the parks.

So do that type of enforcement inside a park is risky.

What we like to do is do that type of enforcement on the outskirts to address those.

Unregistrable vehicles on the outskirts so they don't make their way into the park.

But there are times that we do go into the park and we do that type of enforcement.

And we like to do it when the vehicle is stopped.

For instance, Central Park is a challenging environment to do that type of enforcement.

For the most part,

Officers step out, they stop any bike or bicyclist in some case if they're operating in the wrong direction of travel or they're operating on a pedestrian path.

The conversation starts, they introduce themselves, they ask them why they're stopped, they're told that their body-worn camera is activated.

And everything's being recorded audio and video on video and they ask them do you understand why you're stopping them and they understand they understand why they're being stopped and we do enforcement when it's necessary

So we are successful in addressing these behaviors inside the park.

Can I ask how that approach would change if the individuals on the bike were minors under the age of 18?

So we wouldn't allow them to drive away with that bike because they can't be operating that bike.

That appears to not be happening because the same group of young people continue to operate within that park.

So we can follow up on details.

I was going to say, we'd very much appreciate, you know, following the hearing, following up with you in your office, please.

I guess I would just say we've spent a lot of time today talking about delivery workers, and I understand that, but there is also an issue of youth improperly using these devices that I think deserves its own discussion.

But thank you for answering the question.

I have one quick thank you to give to DOT while we're talking about pedestrians.

Last time you were here, I bothered you about the 17th Avenue Pedestrian Bridge, which there was no work for seven years, and you have surprised me, and there has been lots of progress in the 17th Avenue Pedestrian Bridge, so thank you so much for all of your work in making that possible.

Thank you.

Thank you, Councilmember Hanif, and then we'll transition to public testimony.