Safety first as Las Vegas prepares for 400,000 visitors on New Year's Eve

Victorville couple John and Stacy Whitman are planning their annual trip to Las Vegas to take part in New Year’s Eve celebrations.

The Whitmans will be part of nearly 400,000 visitors city officials expect to visit the Las Vegas Strip and surrounding area to say goodbye to 2023 and welcome in 2024.

“It’s a blast to be with thousands of people on the Strip as the clock strikes 12 and fireworks go off from hotel rooftops,” Stacy said. “After that, we go back to our hotel room and party with friends.”

With so many people expected to celebrate the new year in Sin City, local authorities said they will be out in droves protecting residents and visitors. Security planning has been in the works for weeks, according to city officials.

During a press briefing Thursday, Las Vegas Metro Undersheriff Andrew Walsh wouldn't say how many of his officers would be patrolling "America's Party" but said very few officers will have the day off.

Las Vegas Mayor Carolyn Goodman asked the public to be vigilant, be safe, and avoid driving if they’re drinking.

“We know there is no greater place to have a good time than here in Las Vegas,” Goodman said. “We are prepared but we need everyone to do their part. As the undersheriff said, if you see something, say something.”

Safety on the Strip

City officials have outlined road closures as well as what partygoers can’t bring to the public outdoor celebration, which will include midnight fireworks shot off from the rooftops of nine Strip resorts including, for the first time, the newly opened Fontainebleau Las Vegas.

Road closures are expected to start as early as 4:30 p.m. Sunday. Nearly 3,000 crowd control barricades will also be in place.

From 6 p.m. New Year’s Eve until 6 a.m. on New Year’s Day, on both the Strip and Fremont Street Experience, the following items will not be allowed:

• Strollers

• Coolers

• Backpacks

• Glass bottles

• Large bags

• Luggage

• Computer bags

• Diaper bags

“We’ll ask everyone that visits the Strip and downtown to just simply not bring those items down there," Walsh said. "It just makes it that much more harder for the officers to do their job and to be vigilant if they have to address things that we’ve put plenty of notice out will not be allowed on the Strip or in downtown."

John Whitman recommends visitors wear a large multi-pocketed coat to store personal items such as drinks, snacks, “legal medications” and more.

“People who plan on taking a lot of video and photos should bring a mobile phone charger,” John said. “Last year, I saw people frantically searching for a place to plug in their phone chargers, not good.”

Enhanced security to welcome in the new year

Firefighters will also make their presence known with bomb squad and hazmat teams mobilized.

Preparations for New Year's celebrations come weeks after the FBI and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security sent memos to agencies across the country warning of lone-wolf attacks amid the war in the Middle East.

Even though there are no credible threats, Las Vegas Metro is not taking any chances, according to Walsh, who said, "The threat is as real as it's ever been. We are doing everything to make sure everyone is safe."

“Finally, we encourage everyone and anyone who sees something to say something,” said Walsh, who added that people can call 911 for emergencies or the See Something, Say Something hotline at 702-828-7777.

The U.S. Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration will conduct low-altitude helicopter flights over the Las Vegas Strip on Friday and Sunday in preparation for the city’s New Year’s Eve celebrations.

The aircraft will measure expected background radiation as part of standard preparations to protect public health and safety on the day of an event, agency officials said.

The public may see a twin-engine Bell 412 helicopter, which is equipped with radiation-sensing technology. The helicopter will fly in a grid pattern over areas at 150 feet or higher and at approximately 80 mph.

Flyovers will occur during daylight hours and are estimated to take approximately two hours to complete per area.

These surveys are part of normal security and emergency preparedness activities, according to security administration officials, who are making the public aware of upcoming flights so citizens are not alarmed.

Daily Press reporter Rene Ray De La Cruz may be reached at 760-951-6227 or RDeLaCruz@VVDailyPress.com. Follow him on Twitter @DP_ReneDeLaCruz

This article originally appeared on Victorville Daily Press: Safety first as Las Vegas prepares for 400,000 visitors on New Year's Eve