BROOKLYN (PIX11) — A group of Brooklyn parents and day care workers have come together to clean up two neighborhood playgrounds that they said have become dangerous places for their children to play.
Sarah Baker and Will Zimmerman are new parents of a beautiful 9-month-old baby boy. They said what is happening at a nearby Bed-Stuy park scares them.
They took pictures of what they believe are plastic drug containers on Wednesday around 8 a.m.
It moved other parents to help organize a community cleanup, 30-minute shifts for local parents to sign up for on WhatsApp, to take turns cleaning up Classon playground and Crispus Attucks playground. The cleanup was organized for the next two weeks.
The purpose, they said, is to gather enough pictures and evidence of a growing problem of safety in their community.
“We take the cleanliness of our parks, playgrounds, and greenspaces very seriously and perform regular maintenance at all of our properties across the five boroughs. Parkgoers who find paraphernalia at any of our properties are urged to contact 311 so that we can investigate and resolve the issue – in emergencies, please call 911,” a spokesperson from the Parks Department said.
Ten parents signed up to help clean up so far. Baker doesn’t want more police. She said she wants the city to commit to more regular cleanups of both areas.
Baker said there’s a community meeting about the problem organized by local Councilmembers Chi Ossé and Crystal Hudson on Monday at 10 a.m.
You can sign up here.
If you have a story, reach out to Monica Morales at monica@pix11.com.
