mark santia has details from the island. >> reporter: police make a vow to protect and serve. elected officials want to return the promise by upping the penalty against anyone accused of attacking an officer. >> the climate in this country, in this city and this state where police officers have been targeted merely because they wear the uniform. >> reporter: attacking a police officer not just a crime, but a hate crime punished by a greater penalty in the aftermath of new york, dallas and that's what these elected officials say needs to happen. >> it sums up everything wrong about our society when we think about police officers simply being ambushed because they're wearing a badge. >> reporter: the blue lives matter bill would protect every police officer, not only in the city, but state, according to councilman joe berelli. >> this is adding a class of people who have been targeted because of their membership to a group. >> reporter: commissioner bratton has not heard about this been exploring ways to add police protections. >> we are attempting to track both, injuries occurr

he told me that would mean his hell on earth would begin, in howard beach, mark santia, news 4 new york. >>> a load of laundry turned dangerous in new jersey. a dryer exploded at a home in clark. it blew out windows and burned the homeowner on the arm. he's okay. it's not clear what caused the explosion. the home is being checked to see if there could >>> new at 5:00, a big chunk of change being used to spruce up new york city parks. >> $150 million, to be exact. that money being divied up between all five boroughs. delapidated. >> reporter: st. mary's park in the bronx. >> it needs to be clean and they should have security also in the park. >> the green areas should be kept better. more like track for running and more friendly for the youth people of the area. >> reporter: they deserve this investment. the city is responding to the calls for help. mayor bill de blasio announcing da renovating five parks, high bridge in washington heights, st. mary's in the bronx, betsy head in brooklyn, fresh kills on staten island and astoria park in queens. each was selected based on high surrounding

marc santia is in dix hills with the details. >> reporter: today marked the first of six funerals. answers. on this grassy median where their cousins died, this family is trying to piece together events of that deadly day. >> we just had to kind of come out and see for ourselves. >> reporter: this family stresses they do not believe carmelo was going excessively fast. >> everybody is assuming it was speed and he must have been going 100 miles an hour doesn't necessarily mean that was true. >> reporter: the family is raising concerns about the cable barriers and steel plates near this bridge. >> i want the county and state authorities to see exactly what's going on with the construction and the plates and everything like that. don't just assume he was flying. >> reporter: the deadly accident happened in a transition area where the steel guardrail overlaps with cable barriers. it appears both were damaged in this crash. the new york department of installed on the l.i.e. in 2011. as for the steel plates, dot would not comment on whether they played a role in the crash, but they are de