Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
News
NYPD Will Double Number Of Cops At This Year's J'Ouvert Celebration
By
Rebecca Fishbein
Published Jul 26, 2016
Modified Jul 26, 2016
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
Christian Hansen/Gothamist
By
Rebecca Fishbein
Published Jul 26, 2016
Modified Jul 26, 2016
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
The NYPD will double the number of uniformed police officers on duty and implement a number of additional security measures during the J'Ouvert celebration in Crown Heights on Labor Day, following the fatal shooting of Cuomo aide Carey Gabay by suspected gang members during the festivities last year.
Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams and Police Commissioner Bill Bratto announced the increased security measures at a press conference at Medgar Evers College today. The celebration, a predawn procession that precedes the West Indian Day Parade, has been issued a permit from the city for the first time this year, and both Adams and Bratton said they hoped the event's legitimization would make it easier to crack down on violence.
Last year, 43-year-old Gabay was fatally shot while walking to his home in Clinton Hill—he was apparently caught in gang crossfire outside the Ebbets Field Apartments in Crown Heights. Also that night, a 24-year-old man was stabbed to death, there were several other shootings near the parade route, and there have been other incidents of violence in the past. Adams and Bratton both noted that since the celebration—which drew a quarter of a million people to the area overnight last year—begins before daybreak, it is often marred by criminal activity.
"The J'Ouvert event is always looked forward to with anticipation and excitement, but also looked forward to with fear and trepidation because of its history," Bratton told reporters. After last year's violence, the NYPD announced they would change how they police J'Ouvert in succeeding years; according to Bratton, requiring the parade to apply for a permit is a major step. "Giving it a legal standing is stature it has not had in the past as an example of how this very significant event in this community, this celebration of the community's culture, is now going mainstream. We intend to do everything in that power with that permit to ensure the safety of the event," he said.
NYPD Police Chief of Department James O'Neill outlined a number of changes to this year's event, including the aforementioned doubling of uniformed and undercover cops. The department will significantly increase the lighting along the parade route (going from 40 mobile light towers to over 200) and around its perimeter—Adams said gang members use "the cloak of darkness" to commit crimes—and the Mayor's Office is asking businesses and homes in the area to keep their lights on to help illuminate the streets.
Police say they're also working with elected officials, local organizers and clergy to distribute pamphlets, and they're launching #WeAreJouvert and #NotTonight social media campaigns. And Adams is urging parents to march with their children in the parade and walk them home, in hopes of keeping them out of trouble. "We're asking parents to keep their 'eyes' on," he said.
O'Neill did not address whether police would be cracking down on open container law violations or marijuana smoking, and it remains to be seen whether the increased police presence will escalate tensions between cops and revelers. Last year, photographer and activist Ruddy Roye told us the parade "doesn't run freely anymore" thanks to the uptick in cops along the parade route. "I think their presence invites a kind of tension," he told us. Still, O'Neill pressed that police were here to "protect" celebrants and keep them safe. "We'll do a lot to keep everybody safe," he said. "We're not there to ruin people's good time."
Yvette Rennie, president of J’Ouvert City International, which runs the event, also spoke at today's press conference, calling on elected officials to push for stronger gun control laws that would keep weapons from making their way to the celebration. She has asked her neighbors and other members of the community, including gang leaders, to keep guns away from J'Ouvert. "I'm asking all gang leaders, and there are a lot, to put the guns down for the night and celebrate J'Ouvert," she said. "My J'Ouvert is a safe J'Ouvert."
Tagged
Crown Heights
jouvert
labor day
nypd
original
Rebecca Fishbein
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE news
Mamdani will clear 10,000 families off waitlist for low-cost childcare
More than 16,000 families are on a waitlist for subsidized childcare after the program ran out of money.
By
Karen Yi
Published Oct 5, 2026 at 8:00 a.m. ET
In wake of Legionnaires' outbreaks, a debate over NYC's water and industry influence
An advocacy group backed by cooling tower companies wants the city to filter all the city’s drinking water. Some experts say it would be a waste of money.
By
Joe Hong
News
In wake of Legionnaires' outbreaks, a debate over NYC's water and industry influence
An advocacy group backed by cooling tower companies wants the city to filter all the city’s drinking water. Some experts say it would be a waste of money.
By
Joe Hong
New York state stockpiled abortion pills. Now they're all expired.
By
Jon Campbell
and
David Lombardo
NYC Council hearing to put AI risks in the spotlight
By
Carol Chen
A sixth person dies after falling ill in NYPD custody this year
By
Ryan Kost
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .