New York City, state beef up New Year's Eve security as countdown approaches

Dec. 30 (UPI) -- Without mentioning any specific threats, New York City Mayor Eric Adams says security is being tightened in the Big Apple ahead of Sunday night's New Year's Eve festivities.

More than 1 million people are expected to jam into the city's Times Square for the its annual celebration.

The mayor said in a Friday press briefing that the size of annual Times Square event warrants extra security and emphasized the city has seen no specific threats, but New Year's Eve 2023 is coming against a background of an overall nationwide increase in terror vigilance amid the Israeli-Hamas war.

All of the city's agencies are collaborating on the security effort, including the Patrol Service Bureau South, Transit Bureau, Intelligence and Counterterrorism Bureau and the Special Operations Division," Adams said at the briefing.

"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," he said. "Now, we're urging everyone, if you are here for the first time, you know you're not going to drive during this weekend."

At the same time, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul outlined the state's preparations ahead of the busy night.

Hochul said the state is increasing staffing at all airports, bridges, tunnels and mass transit systems as a precautionary measure. The New York State Police will be at maximum staffing, while elements of the New York National Guard will be on duty at JFK International Airport.

The National Guard's 24th Weapons of Mass Destruction Civil Support Team, based in Brooklyn's Fort Hamilton, will be on standby near Times Square. The unit's members are trained to identify chemical, biological, and explosive materials.

In mid-December, the FBI issued a joint security notice with the Department of Homeland Security, warning of increased threat levels over the holiday season.

"Ongoing tensions related to the conflict between Israel and Hamas likely heighten the threat of lone actor violence targeting large public gatherings throughout the winter, including holiday-related, faith-based, New Year's Eve, and First Amendment protected events related to the conflict," reads the FBI statement.

"Although this announcement is not in response to any specific plotting activity, these targets likely remain attractive to lone actors inspired by a range of ideologies due to their accessibility and symbolic nature."

Adams on Friday also stressed that people should be aware of specific safety zones within the city of 8.5 million, reminding them that "there's certain items you cannot bring into the safety zone, like large backpacks and alcoholic beverages are strictly prohibited, so please check before coming in so you won't be turned away."

Hochul likewise urged partygoers to remain alert and heed to safety precautions.

"As we gather to celebrate the ringing in of 2024, I want to remind New Yorkers that first responders across the state are working through the holiday weekend to keep all of us safe," she said. "We can do our part by taking a little extra time to think about basic safety and be aware of our surroundings when in public."