gave New York City The NYPD said Monday it was continuing to operate under an “elevated threat environment” ahead of New Year’s Eve celebrations in Times Square.
More than a million visitors are expected in Times Square on Tuesday to take part in the 120th tradition of watching the ball drop to usher in the New Year.
This year, the NYPD’s class of more than 600 new recruits will work their first detail Tuesday night. At a press conference on Monday about security preparations, NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch said there is currently no qualified personnel for the Times Square event. The trust is not at risk, but the department has been operating in an “increased risk environment” since its one-year anniversary. October 7, 2023, attacks in Israel.
New York City has seen large-scale anti-Israel protests, including encampments, chanting anti-Semitic rallies and clashes with police. at Columbia University and New York University earlier this year.
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“We remain vigilant,” Tisch told reporters. “The public can expect a large number of police resources to be deployed across the region and across the city. This includes members of some of our elite specialist units, including our Emergency Services Unit, who are strategically deployed across the region. will be deployed on rooftops. Our K-9 teams, with bomb-sniffing dogs, our aviation unit will pay special attention to the event and surrounding areas. The bridge and other landmarks and of course our Crowd the drones will be deployed to monitor in real time and keep an eye on any suspicious or unusual activity.
Last year, the NYPD had about four drone teams inside the “bow tie” and “frozen area” around Times Square for New Year’s Eve. That will increase to six drone teams — four inside the Bow Tie and two in the outer perimeter — this year, NYPD Deputy Commissioner Kaz Daughtry said, adding that mobile drone teams are also in Manhattan and around the rest of the city. Will work and supervise the activities. water too.
New York City Mayor Eric Adams speaks during a press conference at City Hall after meeting with incoming “border czar” Tom Homan, Thursday, Dec. 12, 2024. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura, File)
A reporter at the press conference asked the NYPD if there were any extra security measures being taken in Times Square in the wake of last week’s suspected terrorist attack at a Christmas market in Germany. Oh Psychologist from Saudi Arabia He was reportedly arrested in connection with a car crash into a crowded Christmas market in the German city of Magdeburg on December 20, killing five people, including a nine-year-old boy, and injuring more than 200.
“Every year we build our plan based on events that are happening around the world, right here in the city,” said Rebecca Weiner, NYPD Deputy Commissioner for Intelligence and Counterterrorism. “Christmas markets – you just flagged a terrible event. Christmas markets in Germany include: – They’re a constant, high-risk target, and so, frankly, are New Year’s Eve celebrations around the world, which is why we put so much emphasis on all the resources that we have here in this city and in this are focused on maintaining the event. Safe so it’s very accurate according to what’s happening overseas.”
“We’re very confident this will be a safe and enjoyable evening for everyone,” Weiner added, noting the precautions against vehicular collisions, including NYPD trucks and cars blocked at the scene.
People participate in the New Year’s Eve confetti test in Times Square on December 29, 2024 in New York City. On New Year’s Eve, 3,000 pounds of confetti will be released over Times Square. (Alexi Rosenfeld/Getty Images)
The NYPD was also called upon to deal with the emerging threat of a known Venezuelan gang. Tren de Aragua (TDA). Weiner said there was no specific gang-related threat in connection with the Times Square event, but the TdA case is “just something consistent that we deal with in the larger crime problems that we’re very good at handling throughout the year.”
“There’s a lot of work being done by our detective bureau, patrol bureau, intel and our bureau in counterterrorism,” he said. “It’s an issue that we’re dealing with just on New Year’s Eve, Times Square. But some of the new emerging threats, new emerging crime patterns that we’re dealing with again, very quickly and very deeply. tried to do so that we didn’t have some of the gangs taking over here in the city that you’ve seen elsewhere around the country.”
The NYPD will use pocket teams as well as “hotel response teams” to monitor suspicious activity or other “unusual” incidents.
An aerial photo taken on New Year’s Eve in Times Square on December 31, 2023. (Craig T Fruchtman/Getty Images)
All manholes, mailboxes, vending machines and trash cans in the “frozen zone” around Times Square will be either sealed or removed, Tisch said, using blocker cars and concrete barriers. Frozen safety routes will be created around the event.
“And, as always, there will be a lot of security measures that you won’t see,” the police commissioner said. “No one handles such large-scale incidents better than the NYPD, but we certainly don’t do it alone. The Joint Operations Center will be fully operational with all of our city, state and federal partners.”
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Amid a string of high-profile subway crimes and murders — notably, the acquittal of Daniel Penney and the arrest of an illegal immigrant who allegedly set a sleeping woman on fire — New York City Mayor Eric Adams And NYPD officials still urged the crowd to use public transportation. Go to the Times Square New Year’s Eve party. Despite the forecast for rain, NYPD officials said umbrellas will not be allowed in the viewing area. Bags, large bags, coolers, chairs and alcohol are also prohibited.