A Drop In Crime, Cab Price Gouging, The Kings Theatre’s Opening & More Notes From The Community Board 14 Monthly Meeting

Community Board 14 held its January meeting Monday night at Edward R. Murrow High School. Here’s what happened this month:

• CB 14 District Manager Shawn Campbell announced the board is holding a Merchants Roundtable on Wednesday, January 28 at 11am at the board’s office, located at 810 E. 16th Street. All merchants and merchant support organizations within the district are welcome to attend the gathering, where city agencies and other small business organizations will speak about available services and programs. Call 718-859-6357 to RSVP.

• A number of speakers asked that neighbors show their support for the NYPD, including Councilman David Greenfield and CB 14 Public Safety Committee Chairman Joe Dweck. “What I’m trying to do over the last few weeks is provide support for the NYPD…the folks who work at the NYPD feel as though they’ve been under attack,” said Greenfield, who held a rally in support of the NYPD at the 66th Precinct last month. Dweck reiterated this, saying, “the morale is very, very low… They really are feeling unloved. If you see a cop, it would go a long, long way to say hello and thank you.”

• Detective Dominic Scotto, from the 70th Precinct, said, “the 70th precinct is doing very well.” According to the most recent CompStat report, there has been a 22.73 percent decrease in the number of serious crime complaints in the precinct compared to the same time last year.

• Councilman Greenfield said the City Council is expected to soon hold a hearing on his bill, Intro 65, which would require the NYPD to provide a school safety agent to any school – public or private – that requests one. Currently, only public schools receive safety agents from the NYPD. “As of today, this is the most supported piece of legislation – there are 46 co-sponsors,” Greenfield noted.

• Greenfield reported that the City Council held a hearing Monday on another of his proposed bills, which would “reign in a practice known as surge pricing or prime time pricing – used by new companies, such as Uber and Lyft.” The lawmaker’s bill would prevent livery or car service companies from charging exhorbitant fees and would limit them to charging no more than 100 percent of the usual rate. “What’s happened is, due to unfair competition, you have a taxi industry that’s very regulation and a black car industry that’s not regulated very much,” Greenfield said.

• Youth Services Committee Chairman Jonathan Judge said his committee will hold a meeting on Thursday, January 22 at 7pm to continue planning CB 14’s 8th annual youth conference, a successful yearly gathering that helps teens connect with organizations and resources to help plan their future.

• Eileen Newman, a neighbor and representative from Borough President Eric Adams’ office, announced that the borough president’s office will hold a party for “Brooklyn’s golden couples who have been married 50 years or more” on February 13 from 11am to 2pm. Last year, the borough president held the catered reception, which included wedding cake, for more than 70 couples. If you know of a couple who’d like to attend the fete, call the borough president’s office at 718-802-3700.

• Jason Sandoval, of the Kings Theatre, discussed the musical lineup that the entertainment venue announced on Monday, including acts from Gladys Knight; Mavado; Crosby, Stills and Nash; and more. He also noted that there will be a free tour of the revitalized space on February 7. Full details about the tour will be posted on the Kings Theatre’s website on January 20.

• Kings Theatre trained about 65 people for part-time jobs last week, and Sandoval said “99 percent of them are from Brooklyn.” CB 14 members also noted that a large percentage of them are from the area immediately surrounding the new entertainment space.

• Jake Gold, a representative from Councilman Jumaane Williams’ office, reported the City Council is expected to pass Williams’ Fair Chance Act legislation, which would would bar businesses from inquiring if an applicant has been convicted of a crime until after a job offer has been made. This policy is already in place with city government positions, and the legislation, if passed, would not apply to jobs that require background checks.

• On Monday, January 19, Councilman Williams will hold a clergy breakfast at The Bridge, a new community center in Midwood. For more information, call 718-629-2900.

• Councilman Williams’ office is also offering mortgage counseling. To find out more information, call 718-629-2900.

The next CB 14 meeting will be held Monday, February 9 at 7:30pm. The location has not yet been announced, but it will be listed here.