Photos: Shalom Burkis/COLlive
Jewish Children’s Museum co-founder and director of external affairs, Devorah Halberstam, hosted a meet and greet with Crystal Hudson, Democratic nominee for the 35th district city council seat that will be vacated by Laurie Cumbo.
The event gave an opportunity to residents to voice their concerns and raise questions about issues facing the city.
Halberstam opened the evening by welcoming Hudson on behalf of the Jewish Children’s Museum and the Crown Heights community that it serves with programs and hands-on workshops, including exhibit tours on the history and culture of the Jewish people.
As of January 1st, 2022, there will be a changing of the guard in the city, as the city will have a new mayor, as well as 35 out of 51 new council members, who will carve out some of the legislation for the city.
Crystal Hudson, if she wins on election day, will hold the vacant seat for the 35th district, which includes Crown Heights, representing approximately 170,000 people.
During the event, Halberstam peppered Hudson with questions on issues and concerns that residents of our city, and specifically our community, are currently facing.
Halberstam pointed out that one of the main issues that communities in the city are facing now is safety. Halberstam said that there are drugs, car break-ins and packages stolen daily, as well as an uptick in hate crimes in the city including the recent incident of a Chasidic man shot with a BB gun in Crown Heights. She asked Hudson what solutions there are to the problem of the rampant crime we are currently facing.
“We want our children to be safe when they walk down the streets,” Halberstam said.
“Safe communities for me means investing in our communities, and ways to keep the community safe,” Hudson said. “This does not mean that we eliminate cops and visible signs of our safety,” she said. “There are a lot of misperceptions about what things mean.”
Hudson said that investing in our communities means providing access to quality health care, after-school programs, and opportunities, to keep kids off the streets, as well as access to safe, secure housing. “If you don’t invest in those things, and kids don’t have access to programs and healthcare, they get caught up in the wrong things. Find ways to give people opportunities and the best of everything,” she said. Also important is “partnership with our police force to actively engage with our community members, including the NYPD community liaisons, and finding opportunities to work with one another,” she said.
Inspector Joseph Hayward of the 71st Precinct commented during the evening that “shoplifting has become a huge problem throughout the city. Numerous items are taken by perpetrators without consequence. Discretion for receiving a desk appearance ticket for repeat offenders must be given back to the desk sergeant,” he said.
He suggested that “each supervisor could run the perpetrator’s arrest history and determine if he or she is a recidivist that does not deserve a simple ticket with a court date but rather a night in jail.”
Other issues discussed were housing prices, lack of parking spaces in the neighborhood, and homelessness.
Hudson said that there are three issues she plans to focus on.
Hudson said that her “signature legislation” that she plans to accomplish is to provide permanent housing for all. “Homes should be guaranteed to every single person,” instead of only providing shelters, which isn’t as effective in preventing homelessness and keeping mentally ill individuals or criminals off the streets, she noted.
Another focus is quality of life issues, such as access to green space, sanitation and clean streets, and other areas, so that the city is a place that we are proud to live in. She plans on “investing in things that keep our city safe,” she said.
Thirdly, advocacy for seniors is an issue close to Hudson’s heart, having cared for her elderly and ill mother for years, she said. Seniors are not valued in America, and that should change, since “they helped our community become who they are today,” she said.
Attending the event were members of the Crown Heights community, who directed questions to Hudson. Rabbi Jacob Goldstein, who chaired the local Community Board 9 for decades and works for state housing, spoke about the housing crisis facing both landlords and tenants. Others asked what will be done to address the uptick in crime in the neighborhood, as well as the concern about vaccine mandates in our local schools. Another thanked the NYPD, who was present in the room, for their work in keeping the neighborhood safe.
Attending from the NYPD was Chief Kemper, Borough Commander of Brooklyn South, Deputy Inspector Richard Taylor who spoke on behalf of Chief Maddrey, Chief of Community Affairs for the city, Lt. Ira Jablonsky from the borough, including other community affairs officers from the borough. Deputy Inspector Tony Brown, CO of the 77 Pct, was also in attendance. Inspector Hayward, of the 71st Pct., and Community Affairs Detective Mike Baratta and PO Charles were present as well.
Election Day is tomorrow, Tuesday, November 2nd.
Curious before I vote tomorrow!
What did she say? Pro or con kids vax?