Our Children Are Not Experiments: A Call for Real Safety in NYC

The streets of South Brooklyn and the steel of the J train have become sites of grief for families who simply expected their children to come home. We are losing our youth to a deadly cocktail of failing infrastructure, predatory social media algorithms, and a lack of engaged leadership. It is time to stop reacting to tragedies and start building a city that protects its most vulnerable.

The Names We Must Never Forget

Zemfira Mukhtarov combs her hair, emphasizing the increasing worries about the effects of social media algorithms on young users.

I want to start by telling you about Zemfira Mukhtarov. She was just 12 years old, a bright light from Bay Ridge with her whole life ahead of her. Her family’s heartbreak is unimaginable. They found out she was gone not from a call or a knock on the door, but by recognizing her purse and skateboard on a news report about "subway surfing" atop a Brooklyn-bound J train. This wasn’t just a reckless Act—it was a tragedy fueled by algorithms that push lethal stunts into the feeds of our children every single day.

Amira Aminova,11 beams with happiness as she enjoys a sunny day at the park, surrounded by family.

Then there’s Amira Aminova, an 11-year-old from Bath Beach. She was doing everything right—crossing at the crosswalk after buying chocolate at a local deli—when she was struck and killed by a school bus. The driver allegedly didn’t stop. How does this happen? How do we let our children walk home safely and still lose them to such preventable dangers?

These are not isolated incidents. They are symptoms of a city that has failed to protect its most vulnerable.

The "Eyes on the Street" Initiative: A Citywide Class

Von S. Del Valle stands with Zamfira and her father Ruslan alongside Keith Gadson, New York State’s longest wrongfully convicted individual, in front of the former Williamsburg Savings Bank building. Von advocates for inclusion and innovation.

We cannot wait for the Department of Transportation to conduct more "studies" while more children die. I’ve been speaking with Ruslan, Zemfira’s father, who is committed to turning his grief into action. He wants to help our youth make better decisions in the face of peer pressure and dangerous social media crazes.

Here’s what we need: a citywide safety curriculum for elementary and high schoolers that focuses on real-world survival skills in the modern city. This isn’t about theory—it’s about practical, life-saving knowledge.

• The "Both Ways" Rule: Teach kids to look both ways, especially around "blind turns" of heavy vehicles like school buses. It sounds simple, but it’s a rule that could save lives.

• The Peer Guard: Organize students into groups that walk together, watching out for one another. There’s safety in numbers, and peer support can be a powerful deterrent against risky behavior.

• Algorithm Awareness: Kids need to understand when social media is "daring" them to die—from subway surfing to bridge climbing. These algorithms don’t care about their safety; we must teach them to recognize and resist these dangerous challenges.

• The "Speak Up" Pact: If a child knows a friend is planning something dangerous, they must speak to them or an adult before it’s too late. Silence can be deadly.

  
  

This is not just a wish list. It’s a blueprint for saving lives.

School bus near crosswalk, highlighting pedestrian safety concerns

A President Who Shows Up: More Than Just a Title

Von, John & Gina speaking and hanging poster with in subway system

Leadership matters. It’s not just about holding a title or sending out a press release. It’s about showing up when it counts.

John Riccotone, President of CEC 20, knows this all too well. These tragedies weren’t just headlines to him—they were deeply personal. John reached out to me, his voice heavy with grief, to tell me that Zemfira Mukhtarov was one of his own—a student within his district. He was heartbroken, not just as a leader, but as a father and a retired NYPD officer who spent his career trying to prevent this kind of loss.

John didn’t just send a "thoughts and prayers" email. He took action that spoke to the soul of the community:

• A Living Legacy: John helped organize and plant a memorial tree for Zemfira, giving the Mukhtarov family a place of peace and a symbol that their daughter’s life will always grow in the heart of Brooklyn.

• Crossing District Lines: When 11-year-old Amira Aminova was killed in Bath Beach, John didn’t stay in his lane just because she was a student in CEC 21. He showed up. He stood with her family and the community, proving that student safety doesn’t have borders.

  
  

This is the kind of leadership we need—leaders who don’t wait for an office to act but act because they genuinely care.

John Riccotonne discusses the dangers of subway surfing with parents at a safety awareness event held at Cafe Lounge on Kings Highway.

Unity in the Face of Crisis

This support wasn’t isolated. Just days after protesting at City Hall for fair pay and better resources for our schools, leaders from both CEC 20 and CEC 21 stood together in solidarity for these families.

While some candidates are still trying to figure out where the district lines are, John has been on the pavement, at the vigils, and in the dirt planting trees for the children we’ve lost. That is the difference between a politician and a public servant.

One waits for an office to act; the other acts because they genuinely care.

Leadership vs. "Learning on the Job"

Elected officials and community leaders gather outside P.S. 205 as Von S. Del Valle speaks on the significance of maintaining gifted and talented programs at the kindergarten level on October 10.

With deep cuts to education, we need leaders who don’t just "talk" but have a track record of fighting. Alongside his recent actions for grieving families, John Riccotone has spent years pushing for Resolution 4, ensuring students with disabilities have access to after-school and summer programs. He has fought alongside Senator Steve Chan and Assemblymen Lester Chang and Colton to keep our Gifted and Talented programs alive.

Meanwhile, the incumbent has held his seat since 1995—when John was only 10 years old. Is it time for a change? John’s opponents include a newcomer with no public sector experience who reportedly said she’d "know what to do once she gets into office."

New York is not a training ground. You don’t "wake up" and decide to run for office without a plan for the RAD PACT, for our revolving-door justice system, or an understanding of the very history of our 1899 consolidation.

We need leaders who come prepared, who know the stakes, and who have the courage to act.

A Message to the Community

Maud Maron supporters Von S. Del Valle and Savannah Craven advocate against bail reform, calling for justice for victims and political change in Manhattan.

We are done with "learning on the job." We need the unwavering support that John has shown these families. We need a leader who knows our students by name, who feels their loss in his bones, and who will fight every day to make sure no more children are lost to preventable tragedies.

Our children are not experiments. They are our future. It’s time to build a city that protects them—not one that waits for the next tragedy to react.

If you want to learn more about how to elevate your impact in NYC politics and advocacy, consider reaching out to Von S. Del Valle. Specialized NYC political consultation, aerospace engineering insights, and business strategies for startups and advocacy groups can make a difference when it comes to real change.

Let’s stop the cycle of grief. Let’s start building safety that lasts.

Elevate your impact with Von S. Del Valle. Specialized NYC political consultation, aerospace engineering insights, and business strategies for startups and advocacy groups.