The peace at the raucous J’Ouvert and the West Indian American Day Parade festivities will be enforced by a record-setting deployment, NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch said Friday.

“This will be the largest police deployment of the year, even bigger than our deployments for New Year’s Eve in Times Square, even bigger than our deployments for July 4,” Tisch said alongside Mayor Eric Adams.

“This must remain a celebration, not an occasion marred by guns or disorder. This weekend is meant to highlight culture, music and Caribbean pride, and it should not be overshadowed by headlines about bloodshed or chaos.”

The J’Ouvert and the West Indian American Day Parade has often been overshadowed by violence. Paul Martinka

There will be police officers “on the streets where we know that gang violence or gang violence has occurred in the past,” NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch said. William Farrington

The annual twin events unfolding Monday – which begin with an early bird tradition dubbed J’Ouvert – jubilantly celebrate Caribbean culture and heritage along the streets of Brooklyn.

But the joyous carnival atmosphere on Labor Day has often been overshadowed by violence, such as when then-Gov. Andrew Cuomo aide Carey Gabay was fatally shot in the head during 2015’s J’Ouvert after getting caught in gang crossfire.

Bloodshed regularly marred J’Ouvert both before and after Gabay’s death, including in 2020 when a 6-year-old boy was shot in the leg. 

But the pre-dawn celebration fortunately hasn’t been marred by violence for three years.

The West Indian Day Parade, however, saw carnage as recently as last year – when a 25-year-old Texas man was fatally shot, while four others were injured by bullets.

The annual West Indian Day J’Ouvert in Brooklyn gets on the way with festivities as tens of thousands participate in the morning J’Ouvert parade on Flatbush avenue and Empire boulevard in Brooklyn on September 4, 2023. Paul Martinka

Police and attendees at the West Indian Day Parade in Brooklyn, on September 4, 2023. Paul Martinka

During the J’Ouvert parade in 2020, a 6-year-old boy was shot in the leg. Paul Martinka

Tisch said Friday the shooter still hasn’t been arrested.

No specific or credible threats have been made to J’Ouvert or the parade this year, Tisch said.

She said the NYPD has nonetheless worked for months with organizers, community groups, city officials and others to develop a security plan.

“This weekend, we are going to have 2,500 officers on foot posts, on the streets where we know that gang violence or gang violence has occurred in the past,” Tisch said.

The J’Ouvert parade has not been violent for the past three years. Paul Martinka

The West Indian Day Parade, however, saw violence as recently as last year when a man was fatally shot. Paul Martinka

An NYPD spokesperson later clarified that a 1,000 officers in that 2,500 deployment would be at J’Ouvert  and the parade, though couldn’t immediately say where the other 1,500 were being sent.

Street closures will follow the parade route along Eastern Parkway, as well as the J’Ouvert route along Flatbush Avenue to Empire Boulevard to Nostrand Avenue.

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Thirteen entry points along Empire Boulevard and Nostrand Avenue will be manned by NYPD cops with handheld metal detectors.

Tisch said spectators can expect to see two rows of barricades along the parade route, as opposed to the one row from previous years. 

“Spectators may not jump barricades to join performers or marchers and any unauthorized individuals on the route will be removed and may be subject to arrest,” she said.

“This weekend, we are going to have 2500 officers on foot posts, on the streets where we know that gang violence or gang violence has occurred in the past.”