As a concerned parent living in Parkway Gardens, Chicago, I've witnessed unsettling scenes involving overly forceful and aggressive security on local premises. My children, who merely seek to enjoy the outdoor spaces they should have every right to play in, are met with hostility through chill-inducing chases, unacceptable use of mace, and an utterly proportion-less display of firearms aimed at harmless bystanders.

Parkway Gardens, home to more than 1,300 residents, should be a safe haven for its tenants, not an environment filled with fear and intimidation. However, the current circumstances instigate a sense of dread towards our own community, stemming from those who are supposedly employed to ensure our safety. The inappropriate behavior of security and management torments the community rather than providing safety.

Yet, the issue extends further. The U.S Department of Housing and Urban Development reports that as many as two-thirds of its subsidized households include children (Urban Institute, "HUD-Assisted Households in 2020"). This means that across the country, hundreds of thousands of children, like mine, are potentially experiencing similar unjust situations in their own homes. No child should be made to live in fear where they should feel safest - in their own homes and communities.

We call on local leaders and the management of Parkway Gardens to implement non-aggressive, community-oriented security measures that prioritize the safety and well-being of all tenants, particularly the children, who are the most vulnerable. Kindly sign this petition urging the required change and ensure our children and our community are not subjected to an atmosphere of intimidation, but are instead permitted to thrive in a peace-filled environment.