NYC Mayor Mamdani, police ramp up security for J'Ouvert and West Indian Day Carnival

New York City officials and the NYPD said they are ramping up security ahead of the J'Ouvert parade and the West Indian Day Carnival on Monday.

The cultural celebration draws a big crowd every year on Eastern Parkway in Brooklyn. J'Ouvert is from 6 a.m. to 11 a.m. and then the West Indian Day Carnival is from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Celebration of Caribbean culture

The road will transform into a sea of feathers, sequins, vibrant colors, Caribbean culture and pure vibes.

"This year's theme is MAS - music, action, soul, which represents our culture and all that we bring from the Caribbean here as immigrants," said Cecille Ford, from the West Indian American Day Carnival Association.

Generations of immigrants will come together to represent their island, and dozens of elaborate costumes will be showcased.

"This is so representative of the culture and the immigrants," Ford said. "This is the one day we get to showcase it all."

New safety plan after last year's violence

City leaders said they are increasing security as there has been violence at the celebration in the past. In 2025, five people were shot, and two were slashed.

Mayor Zohran Mamdani and NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch spoke about the safety plan for the events Friday afternoon. 

Tisch said they are purposely ending the parade at 5 p.m. this year because the violent acts from 2025 happened after that time. 

People who want to attend can gain access to the route starting at 2 a.m. They will need to go through one of 13 entry points where they will be screened for prohibited items.

Some of those include drones, weapons, alcohol, coolers, umbrellas, blankets, chairs, backpacks, large flags, bikes, scooters and skateboards.

Mamdani said more than 300 emergency officials and community safety volunteers have been deployed at hotspot locations across the parade route starting Thursday.

The groups are conducting outreach and will mediate conflicts, respond to crises and interrupt disputes before they escalate.

Tisch said there will be police officers throughout the parade route. She called it "one of the department's largest deployments of the year."

"I want to be very clear. This year there will be zero tolerance for violence of any kind. We want everyone to come out and enjoy the celebration," she said. 

Tisch said aviation units, mounted units, the bomb squad, counterterrorism teams and NYPD drones are just a few of the law enforcement teams that will assist officers.

Residents frustrated by barricades

Crown Heights resident Tina Willis said service roads along Eastern Parkway have been fenced off with barricades for about a week now in preparation for the parade, obstructing access to residential homes.

"We have elderly people on this block. If there's a fire, where are we supposed to go?" she said. "How are we supposed to get though all of this? What are we, in the Olympics?"

Neighbors say it's the first time they've seen a blockade like this, saying it's even limiting access to fire hydrants.

"What is going on? Why are we all fenced in so early?" Willis said.

"If anybody starts shooting, it will be a stampede here," resident George Nathan said.

CBS News New York did reach out to the NYPD about the growing concerns residents have about their fenced in homes. We did not immediately hear back.