NYPD Community Affairs Rep: ‘We’ll Be Ready to Take Action’ During Rapper’s ‘Non-Permitted’ Father’s Day Event
By Gary Glennell Toms
An official from Harlem’s 32nd Precinct contacted From The G-Man on June 16 to convey the command’s concern over a “non-permitted” Father’s Day cookout, which is scheduled to be held at West 142nd Street and Frederick Douglass Boulevard, adjacent to Drew Hamilton Housing Development.
According to Detective Byron Peña, who works in the Community Affairs Division, the term non-permitted means the organizer or promoter does not have a permit or series of permits for the event. For the last two years, a Harlem rapper, whom the precinct declined to publicly name, has hosted the event. In 2021, the number of attendees was estimated to be more than 1,000. That cookout was also classified as non-permitted by the New York City Police Department (NYPD), and a man was shot and killed during the event. “There were a number of disturbance calls placed to 911 and 311 regarding the event. We did our best to try and handle the situation, but we were understaffed,” said Detective Peña. “In my opinion, we weren’t ready. We just weren’t ready. There’s no way we could’ve been because once the promoter posted the invitation on social media, masses of people began to show up in a matter of minutes. That’s the power of social media, and the promoter definitely uses it to his advantage.”
Detective Peña also stated this tactic is commonly used by rappers when filming music videos in and around Harlem and the city. “Rather than obtain the permits needed or pay for them, they’ll post an announcement on social media and have hundreds of people there in no time. The film cameras are strategically placed, so they just start recording. They get want they need, leave, and never have to pay for or use permits. They do this for these Father’s Day events and it was recently done on a New York City bridge. Travelers became enraged when several men parked their cars, disrupted to flow of traffic, and started filming sequences for a rap video or live-streaming them.”
From The G-Man asked Peña if he or other officials from the command had spoken directly to the rapper about the situation. He indicated that efforts to explain why the event could not be held without the necessary permit(s) were met with resistance. “He has been uncooperative in working with the 32nd Precinct and continues to aggressively promote the event on social media,” the detective said. “This isn’t about trying to take away anyone’s right to celebrate. This is about ensuring the public’s safety. A man was killed last year as a result of this event, so we have to do everything possible to make sure it doesn’t happen again. When you have over 1,000 people gathered in one location, there’s a strong possibility that something bad will happen.”
When asked if the precinct was prepared to issue warnings in order to gain control of the situation, Peña did not mince words. “We’ll be ready to take action. Warnings will be issued. If people show up and start setting up, their items will be confiscated. If the deejay sets up, the equipment will be confiscated. Unlike last year, there will be a significant law enforcement presence.”