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Parents, school advocates press council to fund Safe Passage training and keep ambassadors on routes
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Summary
Parents, PAVE leaders and Safe Passage partners told the Committee on the Judiciary and Public Safety that the mayorbudget's $9.2 million for Safe Passage should be preserved and that the Council should pass legislation requiring training and regular school engagement for ambassadors.
Parents, school advocates and Safe Passage providers told the CouncilCommittee on the Judiciary and Public Safety on June 10 that Safe Passage ambassadors help students travel to school safely and that the program should keep or increase current funding levels and add standardized training and stronger school communications.
Witnesses from PAVE (Parents Amplifying Voices in Education), Collaborative Solutions for Communities and other Safe Passage providers described reductions in youth arrests and cited program data: the DMPSJ deployment of ambassadors last year and the mayorproposal for about $9.2 million in FY26. PAVE founder Maya Martin Cadogan said DMPSJ deployed 185 Safe Passage ambassadors to serve nearly 50 schools in FY25 and advocated for the Safe Passage Ambassador Training and School Engagement Amendment Act (a bill sponsored by Councilmember Brooke Pinto) requiring specific training for ambassadors and biannual meetings between ambassadors and school leaders.
Parents and provider leaders pressed for standardized content and a predictable cadence of engagement so ambassadors understand school-based restorative practices, accommodations for students with special needs and incident reporting protocols. Multiple witnesses recommended adopting existing tools (for example an app used by the Office of the Attorney General) to reduce reporting burden and create a shared incident log between ambassadors and schools.
Deputy Mayor Lindsay Appiah told the committee DMPSJ has $9,000,000 in its FY26 draft for Safe Passage and that about 122 routes in 12 priority areas remain in the program footprint; she said DMPSJ expects to operate summer coverage during summer school and run summer programming in coordination with grantees. Appiah said that while one-time council infusions last year increased capacity, the base FY26 allocation supports current priority routes and summer coverage.
Providers asked the committee to preserve or grow the program and to pass the training-and-engagement act; Chair Pinto said the committee would mark up related legislation soon. Witnesses also asked DMPSJ to ensure ambassadors have regular two‑way communications with school leaders, access to radios or apps and clearer incident‑reporting forms to reduce duplication. Supporters argued the combination of standardized training and stronger school engagement will make the program’s impact more consistent across wards.
Ending: The committee will consider the Safe Passage Training and School Engagement Amendment Act in upcoming committee action; the DMPSJ budget includes funding that DMPSJ says will maintain the footprint and summer coverage but leaves room for the Council to add one‑time or recurring funds.
