Peticioni i drejtohet: New York City Council

There are not enough “third spaces” for young people in NYC where space is scarce in general. “Third spaces” are places where young people can congregate safely that are not home or school. This deficit causes young people to spend an inordinate amount of time in public spaces. 

And, there is not enough employment for enough young people in NYC, especially in the summer months when school is not in session. This deficit leads to young people who cannot meet their needs and do not have the resources to spend their time productively.

At the same time, and often for the causes stated above, the police are a harassing force in the lives of young people. Teenagers and young adults often experience mistreatment from the police. We believe these issues can be resolved with simple measures.

We ask the NYC mayor and city council to take two actions: 1) provide more safe “third spaces” for young people where they can engage in meaningful activities, and 2) expand the Summer Youth Employment Program (SYEP) to include as many youth as possible in the years ahead.

The provision of these resources will lead to less interaction with the police and less harm caused by them in the lives of young people. They will also enrich the lives of our city’s youth at the same time, leading to better futures for our next generation.

And the money is easily available. The NYC Police Department’s budget for FY25 is currently $5.75 billion. The budget for the Department of Youth and Community Development, the municipal agency responsible for youth activities in NYC, in FY25 is currently $53 million. In other words, the DYCD budget is les than .01% of the police budget.

We ask that the NYC government take 0.2% of the NYC Police Department budget - approximately $115 million - and re-allocate it to DYCD to provide “third spaces” for young people and at least double the size of the SYEP.