NEW YORK (1010 WINS/WCBS 880) – Mayor Eric Adams and agency officials held a security briefing on Friday afternoon regarding Sunday’s New Year’s Eve celebration in Times Square, noting that while there are no specific threats to the event or city, the NYPD and partners intend to be out in full force.
"There are no specific credible threats to our New Year's Eve festivities, or to the city of New York in general," NYPD Chief of Department Jeffrey Maddrey said.
Adams said that the NYPD, Patrol Service Bureau South, Transit Bureau, Intelligence and Counterterrorism Bureau and the Special Operation Division are on alert and prepared to safeguard the event.
"We will be out here with our canines, our horsebacks, our drones, our helicopters, our boats, the full complement of our public safety apparatus will be on display," Adams said.
Hizzoner and other officials encouraged New Yorkers to take mass transit over the weekend, and emphasized the importance of leaving banned items at home, including alcohol, large backpacks, duffle bags and large packages.
According to Tom Harris, the President of the Times Square Alliance, hundreds of thousands of people are expected to revel at the ball drop at midnight this New Year’s Eve, with live performances to begin at 6 p.m. and end at 12:15 a.m.
NYPD Chief of Patrol John Chell said that the department has expanded its buffer zone, from 6th Avenue to 8th Avenue and 41st Street to 58th Street, to give law enforcement space to move quickly.
Reporters questioned officials about security following an uptick in protests since the beginning of the Israel-Hamas war on Oct. 7 following the Hamas attack in Southern Israel, including those at the Rockefeller Tree Lighting in which six protesters were arrested.
"People are going to come here, bring in the new year, enjoy themselves in a safe way, and those who want to peacefully protest, they have the right to do so. But you’re not going to do it at the expense of disrupting those who are coming here to peacefully bring in the new year," Adams said in response.
Officials said that there will be two drone trucks and drones around the outer perimeter of the event to monitor potential protests, giving law enforcement a bird’s eye view and allowing them to act fast.
"New Year's Eve is just days away and @TimesSquareNYC Alliance, @NYPDNews, @FDNY, and all of our city agencies are ready! Safeguarding events — of any size — is something we do better than any other city in the nation," Adams posted on X after the briefing.
The mayor's X thread warned attendees of the large security presence on the ground and in the sky, and included a list of prohibited items.
"This is one of the most well-policed, best protected events each year. Planning for this year’s celebration began as soon as our partners from sanitation cleaned up the last piece of confetti that fell here nearly a year ago," Maddrey said.