NYPD outlines security plan ahead of Dominican Day Parade in Manhattan
MANHATTAN (WABC) -- New York City officials outlined security plans Friday ahead of the 44th annual Dominican Day Parade in Manhattan.
Mayor Zohran Mamdani and NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch joined community leaders for a security briefing focused on ensuring paradegoers can safely enjoy one of the city's largest cultural celebrations.
"Our administration has developed a comprehensive security plan to ensure that this parade runs smoothly, and that it runs safely," Mamdani said during the briefing Friday afternoon.
The annual parade kicks off at 11 a.m. Sunday and will travel along Sixth Avenue from West 37th Street to West 55th Street.
Thousands of people are expected to line the parade route, waving Dominican flags as merengue and bachata music fills Midtown. Organizers say the event is the largest Dominican celebration in the country, with more than 10,000 registered participants expected to take part.
With so many paradegoers expected to attend, Tisch said Friday that the NYPD will establish a double barricade, known as a "double moat," to keep rowdy paradegoers from jumping the barricades onto the route this weekend.
The NYPD plans an enhanced deployment of teams that deal with guns and gangs, particularly after the parade concludes, in the wake of the gun seizures during and after the Bronx Dominican Day Parade two weeks ago.
Police recovered more than a dozen firearms and made 16 gun-related arrests.
Among the weapons seized was an assault rifle recovered from a 19-year-old man, according to police.
Commissioner Tisch said New Yorkers can expect increased police presence throughout the area, including uniformed officers posted along the route, traffic agents at intersections and crossings, as well as personnel from the NYPD's Emergency Service Unit, their mounted unit, K-9 Harbor, counterterrorism teams and more.
Helicopters and drones will also be deployed during the parade to assist officers on the ground, providing comprehensive coverage in real time. There will also be security assets that New Yorkers will see, and those that they will not see.
The commissioner also noted that NYPD's deployment and enforcement operations will not end when the parade does. Officers will be out in full force Sunday night, both topside and in transit, to ensure that the celebrations that follow are peaceful.
"We will continue to celebrate our heritage in this great city," said U.S. Rep Adriano Espaillat. "And we want everyone to do it orderly. We want them to have fun, but we want them to do it orderly."
The NYPD also provided details on street closures and restrictions, as follows:
"Street closures will make it difficult to drive or park anywhere near the parade route, so if you're planning to attend, we strongly urge you to take public transportation," Tisch said.
WABC-TV is a proud sponsor of the parade and will stream the celebration from noon to 3 p.m. on abc7ny.com, our social platforms, Disney+ and wherever you stream ABC 7 New York.
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