Residents of Crown Heights fumed this week over an added layer of security in the neighborhood ahead of the annual West Indian American Day Carnival — saying new barriers along Eastern Parkway are an inconvenience and may actually create a public safety hazard.
Before the celebration each year, the NYPD lines Eastern Parkway with steel barricades to create a barrier between revelers and the parade. But this year, days before Monday’s celebration, residents say the city has added two additional lines of barricades along the Eastern Parkway service road. That’s causing problems for residents who have to walk around them and can’t easily access their cars. Residents also say elderly and disabled neighbors can’t be dropped off near their front doors and they’re fearful emergency responders can’t easily access apartment buildings and fire hydrants.
“It’s like they’re encaging us, like animals,” said Georges Nathan, a 78-year-old resident of an apartment building on Eastern Parkway.
“I don’t feel respected,” resident Tina Willis, 61, said, adding that she may not attend this year’s festivities because of the new barriers. “ People are frustrated. Like, why are you doing this? Why are you blocking us in?” ”
Residents are fearful emergency responders can’t easily access apartment buildings and fire hydrants.
The parade officially steps off at 11 a.m. Monday, preceded by J’Ouvert — traditionally a traditional pre-dawn street celebration of Carnival, but moved to daylight hours over the last several years due to security concerns. They're the culmination of a weekend of celebrations in Brooklyn and across the city to celebrate West Indian culture and the large immigrant community in New York City. But the festivities have also been marred by outbursts of violence, including last year, when six people were shot near the parade route as it drew to a close.
The shootings last year came despite NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch saying the parade would be policed by the largest number of officers at any event in the city, including the New Year’s Eve ball drop.
An NYPD spokesperson did not respond to the concerns raised by residents who spoke to Gothamist, but said the barriers are put in place to allow police and other emergency personnel to move freely during the parade.
Anthony Raganella, a law enforcement expert and former head of the NYPD’s Disorder Control Unit, said the additional barriers may give police more time to react if someone tries to rush onto the parade route intending to do harm.
“They would have to jump over a couple of sets of barriers … before they could get onto the parade route,” Raganella said.
Brian Saunders, the president of a local NYPD precinct community council, said he understands why residents view the barricades as an inconvenience, but said he’s keeping an open mind about them.
“ The biggest concern is the safety of everybody,” Saunders said.
Steel barricades
Phillips Tyrone, a 79-year-old Eastern Parkway resident who uses a walker to get around, was waiting for a taxi on Wednesday on Eastern Parkway. Someone had made a space between the steel barricades in front of his apartment building, but he said it's still a nuisance.
“It’s uncomfortable,” he said. “You got to walk around the whole block if you’re going to cross the street.”
Nearby, Suz Echols, 39, sat on a bench on Eastern Parkway drinking coffee. Echols said she’s concerned the barriers could inconvenience elderly residents or delay an ambulance if there was an emergency at one of the apartment buildings.
“The parade is not even until Monday. Why are they already blocking off access?” she said.
Willis said she had similar concerns and noted the barricades are placed in front of fire hydrants on the street.
An NYPD truck delivering steel barriers to the Crown Heights neighborhood.
She said her neighbor called the local police precinct to complain about the barricades, and an officer told him they don’t mind if residents move them to cross the street.
“Who the f--k wanna move this heavy s--t,” she said.
Elected officials and politicians often march in the parade that flows down Eastern Parkway. They’re joined by thousands of people who don extravagant and colorful costumes and dance to bands and music blasted through speakers.
On Eastern Parkway during the parade, vendors sell food, drinks and all sorts of memorabilia associated with Caribbean culture.
Some Crown Heights residents who spoke to Gothamist this week also expressed concern the additional barricades could block onlookers from accessing the vendors, many of whom park and set up along the Eastern Parkway service road.
“The people who are doing their business, that they paid to get the permit, they got no space to do their business,” said 81-year-old Fernando Rooke. “I’ve never seen it before like this.”
