Bushwick Puerto Rican Day Parade adds new safety measures after last year’s stabbings
Working with the local precinct, parade organizers say they are adding more officers along the route and adjusting the parade path to give crowds safer exits.
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Preparations are underway for the Puerto Rican Day Parade in Bushwick. Organizers say this year’s event will look different after two teens were stabbed during an after-party last year.
Shops along the parade route are already selling flags and gear as crews put up fixtures for the celebration. But business owners say last year’s violence is still fresh in their minds.
“Last year we were in the middle of it. A knife was pulled on someone. It’s not what you want to see,” said Sal Polizzi, owner of Tony’s Pizza.
Working with the local precinct, parade organizers say they are adding more officers along the route and adjusting the parade path to give crowds safer exits. They also plan to place trained community members within the crowd to watch for signs of trouble.
“We are aware of other events that happen around the parade, and we are committed to having a safe day and a safe night here,” said Deborah Villanueva, organizer and staff for Assembly Member Maritza Davila.
Villanueva added that the upgraded safety infrastructure will remain after the parade.
Businesses say the added security is necessary.
“We are going to have police on the corners, on watch towers,” Polizzi said. “This is a celebration of a beautiful people, an event that has been a fixture since the ‘70s and ‘80s. It's not a celebration of violence, not a celebration of lawlessness.”
Polizzi said business owners, Davila's office and the 83rd Precinct worked to create a security plan that involved officers on both sides of the barricades, better exits for crowds and clearer expectations for business.
"We have more people than ever with the World Cup, so we cannot be having vendors in the parade route or on the sidewalk, or open containers for hours on end being sold, which creates a dangerous situation throughout the day," he said.
Store owner Tony Malouf said he expects large crowds again this year.
“We have big, big crowd, big police presence. We hope everything is OK,” he said.
His store, MiniMax, is serving as the official parade headquarters with extra bathrooms and accommodations for paradegoers.
Organizers say safety plans also include a designated senior seating area to keep older residents away from dense crowds along the street.
“We just want to welcome everyone and have a great time and stay safe,” Villanueva said.
The parade will begin at 3 p.m. on June 14. It will march down Knickerbocker Avenue.
