[1] Petty is credited with helping to pass the "Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Public Safety Act" Florida Senate Bill 7026 just three weeks after his daughter Alaina was murdered.

Ryan Petty ran for Broward County School Board in 2018, narrowly losing in the primary to incumbent Donna Korn.

[6] Governor-elect of Florida Ron DeSantis, a Republican, included Petty on his Transition Advisory Committee on Public Safety.

"[10] Petty has been praised for his ability to work across the aisle to tackle the issue of school shootings in the United States, meeting with lawmakers and other officials in Florida and Washington, D.C.[11] In April 2018, Petty and his wife Kelly launched a nonprofit organization, The WalkUp Foundation; which is dedicated to improving the culture in our public schools by funding programs that influence engagement within the student body.

The WalkUp Foundation also funds early identification & threat assessment programs, which has been demonstrated to help prevent acts of school violence.