Brooklyn residents may soon have to tell the police they're throwing a party. City Council member Jumaane Williams said he will propose legislation that would require hosts to notify local police precincts and community boards three days in advance if they intend to throw a party with 40 or more guests, following a multiple shooting that took place in East Flatbush last weekend.
Another proposal put forward by Williams would seek to crack down on what the councilman calls "house clubs," fining homeowners who advertise parties in advance, sell drinks and charge covers at the door.
"We think when there's 200, 300 people in a backyard, and this happens on a routine basis, you're really inviting trouble," Williams said at a press conference earlier this week.
The multiple shooting happened at a party on East 52nd Street, in which the gunman was apparently denied entry to the house and opened fire on a crowd of around 60, striking eight people.
A cynic might suggest that Williams, who has been assailed by City Hall and law enforcement advocates for co-sponsoring two other pieces of legislation aimed at curbing the NYPD's power, is tossing out these party regulations to curry favor with the law-and-order sect. Why should parties in Manhattan or the Bronx be spared of additional scrutiny?
Williams couched his proposals in language that suggests he's merely brainstorming: “It was really to start off the conversation. This is definitely not a final thing."
At One Police Plaza on Tuesday, NYPD Commissioner Ray Kelly told reporters that he had no comment on Williams' legislation, but said that the department does monitor large parties that have a history of getting out of hand.
"This individual has had these parties for two years," Kelly said, referring to the party on East 52nd Street. "He passed out flyers...He'd use wood to extend the fence around his property."
