Safety top of mind for NYPD ahead of Dominican Day Parade
NEW YORK (WABC) -- It is a big weekend ahead for New York City -- more than a million people are expected to come out for the 43rd National Dominican Day Parade.
The celebration will step off at 11 a.m. Sunday and will travel along Sixth Avenue between West 37th and 55th streets in Midtown.
ABC 7 New York is a proud sponsor of the National Dominican Day Parade, and will stream the event on abc7NY.com, our mobile and connected TV apps, and on YouTube starting at noon Sunday.
Safety is top of mind for the NYPD in the wake of the violence that marred the Bronx Dominican Day Parade two weeks earlier. Three people were shot and one was stabbed during the celebration. Police officers hurried in and parade-goers streamed out after a 65-year-old man sitting in his car was attacked by a man with a knife. It was one of a number of incidents that led the city to shut the parade down early.
"From my perspective, having looked at what occurred last year in the staffing numbers, we probably underdid the staffing at this parade," said NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch.
On Friday, surrounded by parade organizers and Congressman Adriano Espaillat, Tisch vowed things will be different this weekend.
"That was unacceptable and we will not tolerate it happening again. But we also know that that behavior does not reflect the vast majority of people who came out to celebrate this year.
The NYPD is taking every precaution to make sure the event remains safe, respectful and orderly from start to finish, and that enforcement won't end when the parade does, she added.
The department will double the number of police officers assigned to guard the route, with nearly a thousand in uniform on top of the usual security deployments for a high-visibility event.
Among the changes -- an early start time. The parade will step off at 11 a.m. from West 37th Street and Sixth Avenue -- and making its way through the canyons of Midtown, all the way to West 55th Street.
Police are especially concerned about violence after what happened after the Bronx Dominican Day Parade two weeks ago, when three people were shot and another stabbed.
Officers will be adding resources in the Bronx as well to keep things safe for the day of Dominican pride.
"We're looking forward to a festive day where safety will be important and paramount," Espaillat said.
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