Revelers celebrating the Times Square ball drop can expect a mammoth police presence and NYPD drones in the sky amid heightened global tensions — including the persistent threat of spillover violence from the Israel-Hamas war.
City officials say Gotham is still on high alert after Hamas’s surprise Oct. 7, 2023 attack on Israel that killed 1,200 people and led to the seizure of hundreds of hostages — some of whom remain in captivity.
As a result, the NYPD will be out in force during the New Year’s bash, which Mayor Eric Adams said focuses the eyes of the world on the Big Apple for just one night — and makes it the “crossroads of the entire planet.”
“Every year, thousands of people across the globe, they come here to Times Square and celebrate,” Adams said at a Monday press conference.
“They see the main stage of the ball actually dropping,” he said. “What they don’t realize is how much goes on behind the scenes to ensure that people are safe.”
That massive operation will involve the “full complement of our police personnel,” he said — including uniformed and plainclothes cops, horse-mounted officers, drone teams, bomb-sniffing dogs, helicopter crews and members of the NYPD’s Intelligence Bureau, Special Operations division and others.
Together, they’ll be searching for any and all threats to the gathered crowd, expected to number around 1 million people.
“We will make sure each one of those who come here to visit and enjoy the ball drop will be safe,” Hizzoner said.
Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch echoed Adams’ comments and said that despite no “specific, credible threats” to the New Year’s Eve celebration, the department will remain vigilant.
“The public can expect to see a tremendous amount of police resources deployed throughout the area and across the city,” she said.
“That includes members of some of our elite specialized units, including our emergency services unit, who will be strategically deployed throughout the area on rooftops.”
Tisch added that the NYPD is deploying dedicated pickpocket teams to collar sneak-thieves looking to take advantage of the crammed-in crowd — and said security will be tight throughout the area.
“All manholes, mailboxes, vending machines and litter baskets in the frozen zone will be either sealed or removed,” she said.
“And frozen safety lanes will be created around the event using blocker cars and concrete barriers,” she continued.
“And as always, there will be plenty of security measures that you will not see. No one handles large-scale events like this better than the NYPD.”
Beyond that, both Adams and Tisch stressed the need for the public to keep its eyes peeled.
“Security is everyone’s responsibility,” Adams said. “So if you see something, say something.”
The police commish agreed.
“The public is our eyes and ears,” Tisch said. “So if you see something suspicious, or if something doesn’t look or feel right, tell a police officer or call 911 right away.”
“The public’s ability to see something, say something and do something makes a real difference.”
