NYC Council Public Safety Committee Hearing on Seven Bills - June 10, 2026
NYC Council Committee on Public Safety Hearing - June 10, 2026
The New York City Council Committee on Public Safety, chaired by Councilmember Oswald Feliz, held a hearing on Wednesday, June 10, 2026, at 10:00 AM in Hearing Room 3 at 250 Broadway. The committee heard testimony on seven pieces of legislation addressing towed vehicle databases, fraudulent license plates, tow pound capacity, school emergency alerts, police officer age limits, security perimeters near schools, and weekly reporting on confirmed firearm discharges. All bills were laid over by the committee after hearing testimony from the NYPD and the public.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Support for Security Perimeter Bill (T2026-2052): Multiple speakers from Jewish community organizations (JCRC, UJA-Federation, ADL), Catholic schools, and 92nd Street Y testified in favor, citing rising anti-Semitic incidents and the need for transparency and safety for students entering and exiting schools. They argued the bill codifies existing NYPD practices and provides public accountability.
- Opposition to Security Perimeter Bill: Representatives from Legal Aid Society, Neighborhood Defender Service, NYCLU, Dignity in Schools, Alliance for Quality Education, and parent advocates opposed the bill as currently written. They argued it does not achieve transparency but instead grants NYPD new authority to create plans, potentially chilling student protest and disproportionately impacting Black, brown, and immigrant communities. They urged amendments to require NYPD to report existing policies and affirm First Amendment protections.
- Other Bills: No public testimony was offered on the remaining six bills.
Discussion Items
- Int 0489-2026 (Towed Vehicle Database): Sponsored by Councilmember Vernikov. NYPD Deputy Commissioner Gerber testified that the city already maintains an online database (CTOPS integrated into NYC 311) for vehicles towed by NYPD, sheriff, and marshals, but not private tow operators. NYPD opposed creating a separate database and suggested private tow operators report directly to 311. Chair Feliz noted personal experience with a towed car and stressed the need for a centralized system.
- Int 0551-2026 (Fraudulent License Plates): Sponsored by Chair Feliz. NYPD had no objection. Discussion focused on enforcement challenges and the prevalence of ghost cars. NYPD reported 21 joint operations in 2026 with 1,320 vehicles seized, and over 104,000 summonses for obstructed plates year-to-date.
- Int 0552-2026 (Tow Pound Capacity): Sponsored by Chair Feliz. NYPD expressed no objection but sought clarity on reporting scope. Chief O'Bay detailed current capacity: Bronx (350 regular+28 heavy duty, inventory 414+23), Brooklyn (392+15, inventory 852+24 including 443 motorcycles), Queens (250+12, inventory 196+23). Most vehicles are reclaimed within 1-2 days; only 767 of 21,610 towed in 2026 remained unclaimed. Councilmember Brewer raised the need for a Manhattan tow pound after the 2021 closure.
- Int 0843-2026 (School Emergency Alert System): NYPD had no objection but stated primary responsibility lies with NYC Emergency Management and Department of Education. Chair Feliz noted the role of NYPD in communicating school emergencies.
- Int 0913-2026 (Police Exam Age Limit): Sponsored by Councilmember Farias. NYPD strongly supported raising the maximum age from 35 to 43, aligning with state law. Councilmember Farias noted that about 80 candidates per year are lost due to the age cap and the change expands the applicant pool with more mature candidates.
- T2026-2052 (Security Perimeters at Educational Facilities): Sponsored by Councilmember Encarnacion. NYPD testified they have no written guidance specific to schools but apply legal principles (content-neutral, time/place/manner restrictions) on a case-by-case basis. They supported the bill's principle but requested a one-year effective date and quarterly reporting instead of weekly. Chair Feliz and Councilmembers Gutiérrez, Joseph, and Sanchez questioned the need for new plans given existing practices. Public testimony was sharply divided.
- T2026-2058 (Weekly Reporting on Confirmed Firearm Discharges): Sponsored by Chair Feliz. NYPD raised concerns about feasibility of weekly reporting, requesting quarterly. Deputy Commissioner Gerber explained the complexity of tracking confirmed shots fired across many complaint categories. Councilmember Gutiérrez questioned the reliability of ShotSpotter data. NYPD confirmed their contract with ShotSpotter runs through 2027.
Key Outcomes
- All seven bills were heard by the committee and laid over (no final vote taken). The committee will continue to work with the NYPD and stakeholders to refine the legislation.
- For T2026-2052, multiple council members indicated willingness to amend the bill to a pure transparency measure requiring NYPD to publicly report existing policies rather than create new plans.
- Written testimony may be submitted within 72 hours after the hearing via email to testimony@council.nyc.gov.
- The committee expressed interest in further discussions on Manhattan tow pound options and improving data collection on firearm discharges.
Meeting Transcript
Good morning everyone and welcome to today's New York City Council hearing for the Committee on Public Safety. If you would like to testify, you must fill out a witness slip with one of the sergeant-at-arms, even if you signed up already online. At this time, please silence all electronic devices and no one may approach a day as at any time. Chairs, we are ready to begin. Thank you. Good morning, everyone. I'm Councilmember Osl Felice, Chair of the Committee on Public Safety. Uh before I provide my opening statement, I'll pass it on to our speaker, Julie Bennon, for her opening statement. Thank you so much, Chair, and I want to welcome everyone to the Public Safety Committee hearing today. I'm Julie Menon, Speaker of the New York City Council. It's wonderful to see everyone here today. I want to first of all begin by thanking our chair of the Public Safety Committee, Councilmember Feliz for uh convening this important hearing. Today we're hearing seven bills, which Chair Feliz will shortly outline. I wanted to speak specifically about one of the bills, pre-considered introduction number 2026-2052, sponsored by Councilmember Ankanesyan in relation to a plan regarding security perimeters adjacent to educational facilities. As many of you know, the council heard a different bill, introduction 175 related to this issue back in February. The council received overwhelming feedback in support of that bill from the public, both at the hearing and in hundreds of meetings and correspondences after the hearing. The council then passed the bill with a strong majority of council members in support. With that said, in the time since February, the council has taken dozens of meetings and received feedback from hundreds of New Yorkers. We've introduced a new bill that we are hearing today, which reflects extremely helpful feedback we received and which we believe strengthens the legislation. The process we have undertaken demonstrates the council's commitment to a democratic and deliberative process that is rooted in openness, honesty, and the importance of meeting the needs and wants of everyday New Yorkers. This bill recognizes two very simple truths, neither of which should be remotely controversial. Our children deserve to be safe in school, and freedom of speech is sacrosanct in a democratic society. This bill holds both of these truths at the same time by requiring transparency from NYPD. This bill protects students by allowing them to breathe easily and focus on learning, knowing that they will be safe entering and exiting their school buildings. And this bill protects freedom of speech by providing information to those wishing to express their views peacefully about how, when, why, and where the NYPD utilizes security perimeters. Transparency leads to more safety for everyone, and it also leads to stronger oversight when plans are not followed, when situations end up differently than expected, or when violence occurs. This is not controversial. Transparency is good for everyone, period. I'd also like to provide some examples to remind us, just as I did in February, of why we are here today and what we are responding to, because unfortunately the need for this legislation has not decreased since February. In May 2026, there was an out-of-control situation outside Parkie synagogue. Many know about this. What many do not know is that this situation outside the synagogue was also adjacent to a preschool that was forced to close as a result of the gathering. In May 2026, swastikas were found at a Queen's playground right next to a daycare and synagogue. In January 2026, swastikas were also found at a Brooklyn playground and specifically 73 swastikas. In March 2024, swastikas were drawn drawn on desks and bulletin boards at Origins High School. In May 2024, anti-Semitic graffiti was found at PS 197 in Brooklyn. In November 2023, shortly after the horrific October 7th attacks, an unruly gathering at Hillcrest High School over a teacher's support for Israel led to this teacher hiding in a classroom until the group disbanded. And we also heard at our hearing in February about a number of unprovoked incidents that occur on a near daily basis that go unreported, where students must endure hurtful, intimidating encounters with individuals on their way into and out of schools. Schools are supposed to be safe places. That is why this legislation is important. I also want to repeat what I closed with back in February because it bears repeating. New York is the most diverse city in the country, and that is a source of incredible pride. We must maintain that. This pride comes from our confidence to showcase our identity and our diverse opinions. Hate tries to harm that confidence, and we will not be a city that tolerates any type of hate. Hate of all kinds is unsuited to our city and incompatible with our values. And we are doing everything we can to move towards the New York without hate. With the voices of hate are loud, we must be louder as New Yorkers, as friends, as human beings, and as public officials, our solutions must be robust and our actions must be effective. I now want to turn it back over to Chair Feliz. Thank you.
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