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UP FRONTThursday 31 December 2015
Officials: Times Square
to be ‘safest place in the
world’ on New Years
COLLEEN LONG and once when they enter
JONATHAN LEMIRE pens where they must stay
Associated Press lest they lose their spots.
NEW YORK (AP) — Of- Outside that zone, revel-
ficials sought to assure ers and vehicles can come
revelers this week that and go as they please.
the New Year’s Eve cele- At least 6,000 patrol offi-
bration in Times Square will cers will be assigned to the
be the safest place in the festivities. Visitors will see
heavily armed counterter-
Heavily armed New York City rorism teams and bomb-
police officers with the Stra- sniffing dogs.
tegic Response Group stand The bomb squad and a
guard in New York’s Times unit specializing in chemi-
Square. New York City officials cal and biological threats
sought this week to assure rev- will sweep hotels, the-
elers that the New Year’s Eve aters, construction sites
celebration in Times Square and parking garages. They
will be the safest place in the also will patrol the Times
world. Square subway station,
and certain exits will be
(AP Photo/Mary Altaffer) blocked off. The NYPD will
rely on a network of thou-
world — heavily secured sands of closed-circuit se-
by thousands of New York curity cameras blanketing
Police Department officers, lower Manhattan, parts
including a new special- of midtown Manhattan
ized counterterrorism unit. and the subway system.
“Leave the worrying to the About 20,000 smartphones
NYPD,” said James O’Neill, were handed out to offi-
chief of the department. cers this year that will allow
“People should feel safest police to quickly transmit
this New Year’s Eve be- information on potential
cause we’re there.” threats.
Police Commissioner Wil- And this year, a specialized
liam Bratton said there counterterrorism unit of 500
were no credible threats highly trained officers will
to the city ahead of the be deployed to respond to
holiday. Yet officials also any emergency.
acknowledged that there The unit was first formed
were limits to what they after attacks in January at
could do to ensure secu- the French satirical weekly
rity, especially outside the Charlie Hebdo. Bratton
tightly controlled blocks at said the department is
the heart of the celebra- constantly evolving based
tion. In much of the city, on new information as well
the focus will be on fast as the recent attacks in
responses to any emer- Paris and San Bernardino,
gency rather than preven- California.
tive measures like security Carrie Underwood, Luke
checkpoints. Bryan, Wiz Khalifa, Char-
“The ability to protect ev- lie Puth and Demi Lovato
erything all the time every- are among the musical
where is not possible in any guests schedule to perform
venue anywhere in the this year. When the clock
world,” Bratton said. strikes midnight and the
About 1 million people ball drops, so will 1 ton of
are expected to pack the confetti — scraps of paper
blocks around Times Square with well wishes for the up-
to watch the 11,875-pound coming year.
(5,400-kilogram) Water- After the show, sanita-
ford crystal ball drop. Par- tion crews will get to work
tygoers trying to get close cleaning up from the cel-
enough to see and hear ebration, working through
the musical acts that per- the night to dispose of an
form throughout the eve- estimated 50 tons of gar-
ning will be screened with bage, including confetti,
hand-held metal detectors party hats and other left-
twice — once when they overs from the revelry.q
enter one of the 14 access
points to the secure zone
