? Parents of Public School 21 students have organized an emergency meeting to address frequent shootings near the school.

Police say a group of men shot at police officers Wednesday less than half a block away from P.S. 21. Authorities combed the area in helicopters and on foot searching for the suspects. The school?s principal sometimes holds children after dismissal for their safety and stopped allowing students out for recess for several weeks last year. School employees agree it?s a necessary precaution and even they are afraid to leave the building.

The mayor says crime is down 15 percent in Bedford-Stuyvesant and that officers are doing all they can to keep the area safe. Parents counter that?s not enough. They?re holding a meeting at the school on March 3 at 6 p.m.