#NYPD preps for ‘mass arrests’ during upcoming Labor Day weekend

The NYPD is beefing up patrols — and bracing for ‘”mass arrests” — in central Brooklyn and citywide ahead of the upcoming Labor Day weekend that’s typically marred by violence and supposed to be socially distanced this year, officials and police sources said Thursday.

“If there’s violence, we’re going to make arrests,” Chief of Department Terence Monahan promised at a press conference Thursday at police headquarters.

“Obviously, if there’s groups out there, we’re going to try to break it up. We’re not looking to arrest people,” he said. “They’re out to celebrate. But we can’t have the violence.”

NYPD Chief of Patrol Fausto Pichardo told reporters during an earlier City Hall press briefing Thursday with Mayor Bill de Blasio that this weekend New Yorkers will “see police officers on foot” and “an increased presence, not only in central Brooklyn, but all around city.”

A police source also told The Post that more court officers will be transferred to Brooklyn for the weekend in anticipation of “mass arrest processing.”

Since June 1, there’s been 708 shootings with 899 victims as compared to 277 shootings with 338 victims during the same period last year, said Monahan.

And Labor Day weekend in the Big Apple is a historically violent one, typically because of crime tied to Brooklyn’s J’Ouvert festival ahead of the West Indian Day Parade.

But this year, due to the coronavirus pandemic, both events have been cancelled and instead will be celebrated virtually, officials said.

NYPD brass, however, is still concerned about large crowds gathering along the parade route in Crown Heights during the holiday.

“That’s why we have so many cops out there,” Monahan said. “We need to have enough police out on the street to deal with these large events. “You know, two cops in a radio car are not going to pull up to 200 people on the corner and be able to move them.”

This weekend, said Monahan, there will be “a lot more police officers working under the command of superior officers, going together to make sure our cops get out of there safely.”

“We will be out there in force to fight crime and prevent violence this weekend,” he said.

As part of a partnership with the city “to encourage responsible riding and improve street safety,” embattled scooter-sharing company Revel “has agreed” to suspend its services citywide between 6 p.m. and 6 a.m. each day from Thursday evening to Tuesday morning, a Revel spokesperson said.

Additionally, the NYPD has shifted around some funds to give street cops more overtime through Labor Day, The Post has reported.

Meanwhile, de Blasio on Thursday urged New Yorkers to avoid gathering in large groups this weekend.

“What we can’t have is large gatherings,” de Blasio said, noting that New Yorkers are only permitted to gather in groups of up to 50 or less due to COVID-19 state regulations.

“If there’s a gathering it has to be kept under 50 people and it has to be kept smart,” Hizzoner said, adding, “You can celebrate from your home socially distant.”

Monahan added that NYPD will break up any illegal house parties over the holiday weekend.

“These house parties are so large it’s almost impossible for us not to see them,” he said. “They’re very large, speakers blaring. We will be out in force and we will have enough cops to go in these parties and break them up.”

Monahan said he expects Brooklyn residents to celebrate, “But we’re asking that they celebrate small, celebrate with their families, celebrate on their block.”

“People who do not live in Brooklyn, there’s absolutely no reason to come into Brooklyn from Jersey, from the Bronx,” said Monahan. “There are no events to come see.”

Additional reporting by Craig McCarthy