To Curb Violence, Start Time of Caribbean Festival Is Changed – New York Times

In recent years, however, the party has been punctured by violence. Last year, despite an increased police presence and numerous floodlights, four people were shot and two of them died. The year before, Carey W. Gabay, a lawyer in Gov. Andrew M. Cuomos administration who was out celebrating with his brother, was caught in a shootout, apparently between rival gangs. He died of his injuries. Another man was stabbed to death that night.

Unlike other major cultural celebrations like St. Patricks Day Parade and the Puerto Rican Day Parade that take place in Midtown Manhattan during the day, Jouvert snakes through residential neighborhoods in the predawn darkness, through pockets of Brooklyn that still struggle with shootings and gangs.

At this years event, more police officers will be present, according to city officials. The city also plans to have more floodlights on the street and will set up security checkpoints. Officials said the police, elected officials, parade organizers, clergy members and groups that focus on combating violence were all involved in discussions about how to make the event safer.

Weve been working on this since the day after Jouvert last year, said James P. ONeill, the police commissioner.

Yvette Rennie, president of JOuvert City International, which organizes the event, said, So we can make Jouvert a safe Jouvert, the groups and the community decided to do it in daylight. News of the early start time was reported by The Daily News.

City Councilwoman Laurie A. Cumbo, whose district encompasses the parade route, said moving the parade to daylight would change the environment of the event. Ms. Cumbo said the event should be a world-class festival, but that it had not received that level of support.

At this stage it should have graduated to being something televised, celebrated, she said. Hotels should be participating in terms of promoting the festivities, tourism boards. It should be something welcomed in the city of New York and supported in a way that changes the atmosphere for how people participate.

Bryant Smith, 53, has lived since the 1970s on Bedford Avenue, a block from where Mr. Gabay was killed. He said that changing the timing of the festival would trample on its meaning without changing much else.

Jouvert wont be the same, he said. In West Indian culture, Jouvert is supposed to start before the carnival. If they try to start it in the daytime, people will just hang out all night anyway. Theyll make their own Jouvert.

Mr. Carrin from the community affairs unit said that while there would be nothing in place to stop people from arriving at the parade route early, all they would find there would be the police, and the festival setting up. Jouvert centers around an organized event; it would be like showing up at a parade before it starts, Mr. Carrin said. Why people show up to Jouvert, its for the cultural expression, the music, the dance, and that would start later.

Other residents said they were unpersuaded about how effective the change would be.

Day or night, I dont think it will be safe, said Grace Collins, 59, a retired administrator for the Army Corps of Engineers. People dont know how to act. Its a free-for-all for guns, but its supposed to be a celebration of Caribbean culture.

Ms. Collins, who grew up in Brooklyn, said she used to go regularly to the West Indian American Day Parade and some of the events surrounding it.

We used to follow behind those drums, just dancing, she said, shaking her hips and showing off her dance moves. But she eventually stopped going because she was concerned for her safety.

This year, Ms. Collins said, she will be tucked away in her apartment when the festival starts, but her 22-year-old daughter plans to attend.

I dont want her to go, but I cant stop her, Ms. Collins said. Ill hug her and kiss her before she goes, but whats going to happen will happen.

Joseph Goldstein, Jeffery C. Mays and Ashley Southall contributed reporting.

A version of this article appears in print on July 29, 2017, on Page A19 of the New York edition with the headline: Starting Time of Caribbean Festival Is Changed in an Effort to Curb Violence.

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To Curb Violence, Start Time of Caribbean Festival Is Changed - New York Times