DOWNTOWN BROOKLYN — Retired NYPD Detective Todd Taylor dedicates much of his time these days keeping young people off the street and out of trouble with a DJ program geared toward “at-risk” youth called Cops and Kids.  

Born in the East Flatbush section of Brooklyn, Taylor spent 20 years on the force, and has always been a DJ hobbyist. But in the mid-1990s, he turned that pastime into a way to help and mentor young people.

“A lot of times when people see police officers, they would never think in a million years that we would do something like this,” Taylor said. “But pretty much everybody is into music. The goal is for kids to have a good time and learn something in the process. There is also money to be made DJing. With more than eight million people in New York alone, something is always going on in the city every single day.”