Safety in the Slope

How to stay safe in the neighborhood & the urban environment of NYC.

Winter in the City: Top Tips for Weathering the Storm

Details: Parent Category: Newsflashes; Category: Newsflash, Winter Fun, Safety in the Slope

NYC.Gov’s Snow Response Page (you can track the snow plows!)

Ready.Gov’s Winter Weather Resources

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Your Family:

Shop early and shop smart. Definitely pick up hot chocolate with mini-marshmallows, but also make sure you have easy-to-eat foods on hand in case the power goes out.
Buy some “hot hands” or other hand and feet warmers.
Keep your cell phones and other devices charged in case of a power outage.
Check in on family members outside your home to make sure they are okay.
Have extra water on hand just in case. (Filling up a bathtub or some big pots works.)
Get blankets, fuzzy socks and fun layers ready in case the heat goes out. Mittens are warmer than gloves. Wear a hat to keep your whole body warmer. A warm neck helps too, so remember to wrap up in a scarf!
Co-sleep if the power goes out!
Have flashlights, candles, and books on hand to read if the power goes out.
Heat up a blanket or towel in the dryer and snuggle up if you have power. Watch the flakes fall and talk about fun times in the snow.

Convincing Kids to Wear a Face Mask (and some great recommendations)

Details: Parent Category: Newsflashes; Category: Newsflash, Safety in the Slope, Child & Family Safety

Face coverings are crucial in keeping yourself and your neighbors safe, but some little ones are having trouble coming around to the idea. If your toddler or young child is finicky about face masks, these tips sourced from PSP members might do the trick!

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Top Tips for Tick Bites

Details: Category: BK Life, Prospect Park, Safety in the Slope, Child & Family Safety

It’s once again the time of year to protect yourself against tick bites, particularly if you’re in a rural area and/or one where Lyme disease is more prevalent. There’s no need to panic, as Lyme is often avoidable and treatable, but knowledge is key—so be sure you’re informed, and tuck those pants into your socks before tromping out into the forest!

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Pictured above is a wood tick, which does not carry Lyme disease, but is nevertheless gross.

Top Tips for Mosquito Control

Details: Category: BK Life, Home Life, New York Life, Safety in the Slope

Plagued by skeeters? PSP members have tips to keep your yard clear so that you can hang outdoors without unwittingly turning yourself into a feast.

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Staying Safe & Reporting Crime in Prospect Park

Details: Parent Category: BK Life; Category: Prospect Park, Safety in the Slope, Child & Family Safety

What you need to know about staying safe and reporting a crime in Prospect Park

The PSP Podding Guide

Details: Parent Category: Advice - Childcare and Education; Category: Childcare Advice, Education Advice, Education Advice ( The Process), Advice - Childcare and Education, Safety in the Home, Safety in the Slope

Thinking through creating childcare solutions with two (or more) families to help reduce costs, get childcare coverage, and create opportunities for safer socialization will take some planning. Park Slope Parents to the rescue!

Planning on outdoor activities with your pod this winter? Check out our article on Dressing Kids for Outdoor School & Play!

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Fun in the Age of Coronavirus: Playground Safety Reminders

Details: Parent Category: Activities Advice Articles; Category: Summer Fun, Activities Advice Articles, Safety in the Slope

After a dismally empty three months, NYC’s beloved playgrounds are once again up and running—but in the Covid era, even typically carefree activities like swinging from the monkey bars require an extra level of caution. These top tips can help keep your kids safe and keep you sane.

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Dealing with Street Harassment

Details: Parent Category: Parents of Tweens; Category: Tween/ Teen Safety, Safety in the Slope, Managing Urban Life

PSP members talk about how to handle street harassment (like cat calling, sexual remarks, lewd comments, leering).

Southern Exposure

Details: Category: Safety, Safety in the Slope

What do you when you see a flasher in Park Slope.

Fireworks and Cities Don't Mix

Details: Category: Safety, Safety in the Slope

Rogue Fireworks are a nuisance perpetrated by folks who think it's just hilarious to set them off on the street at 3:00am on the 4th (or rather 5th) of July. But they aren't just that.

Yes, Virginia, There are Earthquakes in New York City

Details: Category: Safety, Safety in the Slope

What to tell kids when an earthquake hits (which has happened in Brooklyn!!)

NYPD Safety Alert

Details: Category: Safety, Safety in the Slope

NYPS safety alert: PROTECT YOURSELF FROM SEXUAL ASSAULT

SCAM ALERT (or "Brother can you spare a dime?")

Details: Category: Safety, Safety in the Slope

Reports of a scam in the neighborhood.

Reducing Stolen Packages in the Neighborhood

Details: Category: Safety, Safety in the Slope, Christmas

JOIN the Park Slope Parents Community. We watch out for each other (including making sure no one steals your packages)!

If you're a parent in Brooklyn, we're here for you!

JOIN NOW!

Expecting some packages to be delivered? Here are our top tips to keep your packages from being stolen.

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Join Us: Neighborhood Forum on Street Safety in Park Slope

Details: Category: Safety, Safety in the Slope, Child & Family Safety

What do you think when you hear the phrase “public safety?”

What to do if you Witness or are a Victim of a Crime

Details: Category: Safety, Safety in the Home, Safety in the Slope, Child & Family Safety

Park Slope Parents outlines the steps you need to take...

Staying Safe on the Streets: Precautions Against Mugging & Sexual Assault

Details: Parent Category: Safety; Category: Safety in the Slope

Tips to protecting yourself from being a victim of mugging or sexual assault

Pedestrian Safety Tips

Details: Parent Category: Safety; Category: Safety in the Slope, Child & Family Safety

As parents, we have an especially crucial obligation to teach our kids to walk safely. Walking in the city presents many challenges that parents in more rural or suburban communities don't have to deal with. There are many NYC-centric problems pedestrians and drivers face. From one-way streets to bike lanes, stop and go buses and speeding taxis – the bustle of the city traffic can make for complicated walking.

DOWNLOAD THE PSP PEDESTRIAN SAFETY GUIDE HERE

13 Tips for Personal Property Safety from the NYPD & PSP

Details: Parent Category: Safety; Category: Safety in the Slope

Don't Be A Victim: Never Leave Your Personal Property Unattended.

Assertive police strategies have cut crime dramatically making New York City the safest large city in the nation. You can help the NYPD keep New York City safe by following these simple tips...

Child Abuse & Neglect in Public: What Can We Do?

Details: Parent Category: Safety; Category: Safety in the Slope, Posting Policies

Sledding Safety Tips

Details: Parent Category: Safety; Category: Safety in the Slope, Child & Family Safety, Winter Fun

Sledding can be a LOT of fun, but it can also cause a LOT of injuries. Each winter, thousands of children and teens end up in the emergency room because of a sledding accident. Park Slope Parents has pulled together some tips to help you sled SAFELY.

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Know Your Zone! Are You Hurricane Ready?

Details: Parent Category: Safety; Category: Safety in the Slope

The New York City Office of Emergency Management has prepared a ton of great information and resources about where to go and what to do in the event of another bad storm.

PSSSP Appreciates our Crossing Guards!

Details: Parent Category: Safety; Category: Safety in the Slope

Don't forget the folks who get you to school safely. Park Slope Street Safety Partnership (PSSSP) appreciates our cossing guards! Here are some photos from the 78th Precinct crossing guards.

What To Do When You Encounter Unaccompanied and Suspicious Adults in Playgrounds

Details: Parent Category: Safety; Category: Safety in the Slope

Over the years the issue of unaccompanied adults at playgrounds has come up quite a few times. Here are some guidelines...

Talking about Safety: Basic danger rules your child should know

Details: Parent Category: Safety; Category: Safety in the Slope, Child & Family Safety, Safety, Tween/ Teen Safety

The information below came from a letter that went home to parents of PS 172. There is some great information here. Please take some time to discuss with your kids...

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Crossing Guard Appreciation Day 2016!

Details: Parent Category: Safety; Category: Safety in the Slope

The 78^th Precinct, Brad Lander, Park Slope Parents, Park Slope Neighbors, and the Park Slope Street Safety Partnership appreciated the local crossing guards on May 10, 2016 in honor of Crossing Guard Appreciation Day! All the guards were extremely thankful that their hard work was appreciated. It was a cold winter and they are out there braving all kinds of weather (like today) to help our kids/families stay safe.

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Here's a slideshow of all the attendees!

Aaaand the event was covered by New 12 as well!!

If you filled out a Shout Out regarding your crossing guard outside the 78th, fear not-Brad Lander's office will be sending those appreciative messages out to the appropriate folks later this week.

Here are some of the great things folks said about their favorite crossing guards:

"She is so attentive to all of our families and makes us feel loved and cared for, rain, snow or shine. She knows so many of the kids' names and greets them with a warm hello and smile. She is also very effective and managing traffic-- there are many parents who drive their kids to school is a tired, groggy state and therefore are not the best at following traffic rules."

"Despite the stresses of maintaining the safety of a school with an outdoor lunch, early arrivers and busy dismissals, she handles her job with a bright smile and kind words. I've never heard a cross comment or a negative sneer, even though she has to constantly place herself at risk to protect potentially unruly children. Moreover, she recently suffered a significant family hardship - one that would impact even the most positive personalities - yet she continues to keep it positive. I've encountered many crossing guards, and nearly all perform their jobs effectively, but Ms Ripo-Ramos takes it a step further and has become a pillar of our school community in terms of safety, familiarity and personality. Our school grounds are safer and happier as a result of her presence."

"She makes a point of asking our daughter every day about whatever stuffed animal she's carrying. she keeps an eye out for her even when she's with her after school group."

"Rain or shine Anita is always out on her posts greeting children and helping them smile during the transition from home to school and vice Versa. She has been at PS 107 for many years and is an active member of the school community. She deserves to be recognized for all her years of her commitment to the safety of our park slope children."

"Ida is no nonsense, takes great pride in her work and cares very much about the kids she protects. She is always joking with them and knows many by name. We see Ida around the neighborhood off duty, too, and she is always friendly!"

"She is ALWAYS supremely capable, calm, professional, reliable, in short everything you want in a crossing guard!"

"She greets everyone by their names. She always has a smile."

"We live nearby, and Ida cheerfully says good morning to me each time I see her. She even knows my three kids' names, and asks how they are once they've moved on to high school. In the afternoons, she lets me know whether my youngest, who has always been pretty small, has headed home yet or not. It's like having an extra set of eyes -- looking out for my precious children when I'm off at work. Or rather, a bit like having Mrs Weaseley's (from Harry Potter) kitchen clock on the corner, letting me know whether I need to worry or not!"

"They are lovely to our children and help keep them safe!"

"Ask your school's admin if they can help the whole school appreciate your crossing guards!"

A big thank you! to the crossing guards of the 78th Precinct (and beyond) for your work on the front lines keeping neighborhood kids safe!

Susan Fox

Founder, Park Slope Parents

The Park Slope Street Safety Partnership

Member Discussion About Being Street Smart: What Would You Do?

Details: Parent Category: Safety; Category: Safety in the Slope, Managing Urban Life

"Hey All,

I receive lots of emails, some funny, some serious, and some that I feel are useful to post so that our members can learn from other people’s experiences.

I’d love to know what YOU would do in this situation as a way to discuss best practices and action plans. While it’s sometimes hard to think clearly when things like the below scenario happen, having a discussion about it might just help you come up with ideas if it were to happen to you down the road.

Here’s the situation....