The issue that I will be addressing in my petition is gang violence and the increase in gang activity in New York City. Gangs are tied to 49% of shootings in New York City, mostly over petty disputes. Federal authorities have arrested more than 1,100 people since February as part of an enforcement campaign against gangs that traffic guns, drugs and people across US borders, officials said, according to the NY times. Also, 27 members of a gang in the Bronx were indicted for committing murders, attempted murders, manslaughter, drug sales, and several other crimes. This issue is important to me because I have people close to me who are in jail, or grieving the loss of family members due to gang violence. The increase in gang activity had been massive and the streets are becoming more and more dangerous due to rivalries between gangs. I am petitioning NYC public schools because I think that the public school system is part of the reason why so many young kids are involved in gang activity. The public school system in NYC is so bad that the kids are able to leave whenever they want and have little to no respect for authority so this leads to other bad things. I am asking that public schools tighten up on security and create outside programs for kids to attend to and have something to do after school, instead of being out in the street. This will help communities become safer and families, especially those who live in the more dangerous communities, to feel better about letting their children go outside without having to worry about the safety in their community.