Boston Police officials announced safety precautions for the upcoming Dominican parade and festival this Sunday, informing people of “highly visible” police presence and rule enforcement in the wake recently publicized violent crime during summer holidays like the Puerto Rican Festival and Fourth of July.
“It’s a family fun event in which you come and enjoy yourself and have a good time,” said Boston Police Commissioner Michael Cox. “But we encourage you also to make sure that you follow all the rules associated with large events and know what the expectations are.”
The Dominican Parade will march through Jamaica Plain and Roxbury, starting along Centre Street at 11 a.m. on Sunday. The parade lands in Franklin Park, where the the festival will feature live performances, vendors and food throughout the day.
BPD officials and organizers gathered at police headquarters in Roxbury on Thursday to discuss the safety preparations in place, including a large police presence, parking enforcement and more.
“There’ll be large crowds, and that being the case, people should know that there’s really no parking in the area,” said Cox. “So they can seek alternate forms of transportation or ways to get to the park. We highly encourage taking public transportation to the event, as parking will be very, very difficult to come by.”
Police will be enforcing parking rules in the residential area around Franklin Park, Cox said. A full list of parking and road closures, some going into effect Saturday, will be available at BPDnews.
Cox said there has been an uptick in police at the festival from a couple years ago, adding “we try to learn from every event that happens to less the likelihood of anything bad happening the next year.” In 2024, five people were shot during the Dominican Festival.
Police will be enforcing rules including no public drinking, no use of illegal drugs or marijuana, no weapons of any kind, no fireworks and no disruptive or disorderly behavior, Cox said. Car, scooter or other unauthorized vehicle meetups in the area are “highly discouraged,” the commissioner added.
Vehicles in the area with speakers above the legal limit will be “addressed, ticketed, and potentially seized if after ticketing you don’t comply with our instructions,” Cox said.
At the end of the evening, Cox noted, the park will close and people will be asked to leave immediately.
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“And, as always, if you see something, say something,” Cox said. “There will be police officers all about the area. So, if you need police help or you have a concern, please contact one of the officers that will be there with you.”
Boston Parks Commissioner Diana Fernandez Bibeau said the festival will be taking lessons learned from recent events.
“We’re really excited to ensure that we have an incredibly wonderful, joyful event with community members,” Bibeau said. “And are here to work in partnership with the Boston Police Department, our park rangers, and our entire park staff to ensure that this event is a success.”
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