New York Tightens Security to Thwart New Year's Eve Suicide Bombers
As hundreds of thousands of people are expected to gather in Times Square for the New Year's Eve celebration Sunday night, the New York Police Department has boosted security measures like never before, as the foregoing year witnessed deadly attacks on civilians, including the killing of dozens of people at an outdoor concert in Las Vegas in October.
"This is going to be one of the most well-policed, best-protected events at one of the safest venues in the entire world," NYPD Commissioner James O'Neill told journalists.
Apart from snipers, there will be bag-inspecting officers and metal detectors as well as "vapor wake" dogs trained to sniff out trace amounts of explosive particles that trail behind someone carrying a bomb, according to NBC News.
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Police will ensure that all 125 parking garages in the vicinity of Times Square are empty and sealed off, so no one has a chance to sneak in a car bomb.
Thousands of NYPD cops will be sent to the area. "Terrorists regard New York as that kind of place they want to disrupt. New Yorkers respond consistently with strength and resiliency," Mayor Bill de Blasio was quoted as saying.
Anti-sniper teams and a helicopter will be watching from the rooftops, while every single New Year's Eve gathering around the city will be fully staffed with cops on the ground, NYPD Chief of Patrol Terence Monahan said, according to Patch.com.
Additionally, Gov. Andrew Cuomo has ordered the Port Authority and State Police to increase their presence at airports, bridges, tunnels and rail and bus terminals with bag checks and heavily armed officers.
However, O'Neil clarified there are "no direct credible threats" to the city or to Times Square specifically. "Out of an abundance of caution, however, you'll see a stronger police presence out there than we've seen even in recent years," he said, according to The New York Times.
In the Las Vegas shooting on Oct. 1, a gunman on the 32nd floor of the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino killed more than 50 people and wounded hundreds of others who were attending a country music concert.
Las Vegas, where Dec. 31 is the biggest night of the year, has also increased security for its first New Year's Eve since the mass shooting.
In trainings and drills, officers were asked to consider the possibility of shootings from elevated positions, according to the Times. Officers have been asked to coordinate with medical personnel from the fire department, forming teams who will be ready to respond if there is any kind of mass attack.
