Transcript: Mayor Adams Briefs New Yorkers on New Year's Eve Safety

December 30, 2024

Video available at: https://youtu.be/lF8xqMrxfRs

Deputy Mayor Chauncey Parker, Public Safety: Good morning, everyone. I'm Chauncey Parker, deputy mayor for Public Safety, and we're here today to discuss the safety and security measures in place for tomorrow's iconic New Year's Eve celebration right here in Times Square. 

On behalf of the mayor, we are joined today by Chief of Staff Camille Joseph Varlack, the NYPD Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch, the New York City Emergency Management Commissioner Zach Iscol, the Times Square Alliance President Tom Harris, First Deputy Commissioner of the New York City Fire Department Mark Guerra, NYPD Deputy Commissioner for Intelligence and Counterterrorism Rebecca Weiner, Interim Chief of Department John Chell, and Deputy Commissioner of Operations Kaz Daughtry. 

It's often said about New York City that the eyes of the world are on us, and there is no time where that is more true than New Year's Eve in Times Square in New York City. And now, to give details about the planning and the security for that iconic event, it is my honor to introduce the 110th mayor of New York City, Eric Adams.

Mayor Eric Adams: Thank you so much, Deputy Mayor Parker and the entire team. So much goes into a New Year's celebration here at Times Square. I remember as a police officer being here to watch the ball drop, hundreds of thousands of people come from all across the globe to celebrate and bring in the New Year. They see the main stage of the ball actually dropping. What they don't realize is how much goes on behind the scene to ensure that people are safe. 

This is the crossroads of the entire planet right here in New York City. People tune in at different locations and celebrate as we do the countdown for the New Year. I'm really excited as we have spent so much time in preparation and to ensure that not only do we respond to any immediate threat as we saw two years ago, but how do we continue to keep New Yorkers and visitors safe to enjoy the New Year's. Every year, thousands of people across the globe, they come here to Times Square and celebrate. They do something that I think is important. They spend a lot of money and I'm going to encourage them to continue to do so. Tourism is one of the most important aspects of our economy. And this year celebrates really move us into the upcoming year. And we can't welcome wait to welcome the crowds to enjoy the New Year. 

But it's also an important historical moment for us as well. We have so much to celebrate, including New York City's 400th anniversary. We came into office three years ago with a clear mission, affordability, public safety and improving our economy. And moving into 2025, we on course to do all of those things that we had in our plans and in our blueprint. And while thousands of people enjoy themselves, we're going to make sure through all of our agencies involved from OEM to FDNY to the New York City Police Department, we're going to make sure that they're safe and enjoy this city. 

We hit record numbers of tourism this year. Second highest number of tourists in New York City's history. Sixty five million visitors to this city. And we ramped up as we wrap up tomorrow's festivities. We will make sure each one of those who come here to visit and enjoy the ball drop will be safe. There'll be officers in uniform and out of uniform. We're going to make sure we have the omnipresence of the blue uniform would always bring that level of security. But there are many officers that have plainclothes assignments to give the element of surprise. And it would include officers from Patrol Service Bureau, the Transit Bureau, the Intelligence and Counterintelligence Bureau and Special Operation Division. 

We have plainclothes teams, canine teams and officers on horsebacks and helicopters and on boats. The full complement of our police personnel will be here and pedestrians and vehicle closures will be in effect. So please use public transportation to get to the event. Security is everyone's responsibility. So if you see something, say something. But most importantly, do something. Notify any uniformed personnel that is in the area. 

There are certain areas where people will be able to come into the Times Square area. So it's important. There are certain items you cannot bring into the area. So if you want quick movement, leave large backpacks, coolers and alcoholic beverages out of the area. They're strictly prohibited. And you could also find out what restrictions are in place beforehand before coming to the location. The lucky ones that are going to be up front and able to see the ball drop, dress warmly. We're expecting rain. So we're telling you to be prepared for the weather. 

And I just really want to thank the first responders and our partners here at the Times Square Alliance and all the volunteers that are involved. And we want everyone to have a happy and safe 2025. No better place to bring it as we celebrate the 400th year of this city's history. Our birthday, New York City. Happy New Year's to you all. Thank you. 

Deputy Mayor Parker: Thank you, Mayor Adams, it is now my honor to introduce the police commissioner of the greatest police department in the world. Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch.

Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch: Good morning, everyone. In about 24 hours, Times Square will begin to welcome more than a million visitors from around the world as we say goodbye to 2024 and usher in 2025. And of course, the women and men of the NYPD will be out here to keep everyone safe. 

The Times Square New Year's Eve celebration has been a tradition for one hundred and twenty years now, and we take immense pride in how this historic event showcases the very best of New York City for the NYPD. It's not just a celebration of the new year, but also a tradition, a tradition of introducing our newest police officers to the job. This class of six hundred plus recruits set to graduate in just over a week will be out here tomorrow, working their first detail and taking their front row seat to the greatest show on Earth. 

At this time, there are no specific credible threats to the Times Square New Year's Eve celebration. However, we have been operating in a heightened threat environment since October 7th and we remain vigilant. The public can expect to see a tremendous amount of police resources deployed throughout the area and across the city. 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. Our canine teams who will patrol with bomb sniffing dogs. Our aviation unit will be in the skies scanning the event and the surrounding areas with special attention to the bridges and other landmarks. And of course, our drones will be deployed overhead to monitor the crowds in real time and watch for any specific suspicious or unusual activity. 

Additionally, since everyone will be in tight quarters, we'll have dedicated pickpocket teams patrolling through Times Square. There will also be a hotel response team paying special attention to the hotels in the area. All manholes, mailboxes, vending machines and litter baskets in the frozen zone will be either sealed or removed. And frozen safety lanes will be created around the event using blocker cars and concrete barriers. 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. But of course, we do not do it alone. The Joint Operations Center will be fully activated with all of our city, state and federal partners. 

And I also want to thank the Times Square Alliance and its president, my friend Tom Harris, for the job that they do each year to prepare for this iconic event. The affected area for this event extends beyond Times Square and runs from 39th all the way up to 57th Street and from 5th all the way over to 9th Avenue. 

We will begin staggered street closures at 4 in the morning on Tuesday, then continue at 7 and 11 a.m. So if you plan on traveling into Manhattan tomorrow, public transportation is certainly your best option. Trains will only be bypassing two stops. The NQR will skip 49th Street in both directions and the Uptown One train will skip 50th Street. But every other station will be open and operational. Viewing areas will officially open at 3 p.m. and pedestrians can begin to enter at 49th, 52nd and 56th Streets from both 6th and 8th Avenues. 

Spectators should expect to be screened by our counterterrorism officers at these access points. And once you enter a viewing area, there will be no reentry. There will be no backpacks, large bags, coolers, chairs, alcohol or importantly, umbrellas allowed in viewing areas. Please keep this in mind. Some weather forecasts call for scattered showers at this time. So check the weather and plan accordingly. More information about street closures, pedestrian entrances and prohibited items will be available on all NYPD social media channels. 

Finally, I want to remind the public of the vital role that they play. As we've seen in so many ways the past two months, the public is our eyes and ears. 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 and say something and do something makes a real difference. With that, I want to wish everyone a Happy New Year. And of course, thank you to every member of the NYPD working to keep this event safe. Thank you very much.

Deputy Mayor Parker: Thank you, Commissioner Tisch. It's now my honor to introduce our great partner, the president of the Times Square Alliance, Tom Harris.

Tom Harris, President, Times Square Alliance: Thank you very much, Deputy Mayor Parker. Thank you, Mayor Adams, Commissioner Tisch, for making sure the Times Square is safe 365 days a year. Tomorrow night is special and we'll have extra resources. But I just want to point out that Times Square is safe thanks to the partnership of the New York City Police Department with this community. 
A community that works together is a community that works. Tomorrow night is going to be special in Times Square. We have a great show that starts just before 6 p.m. with the singing of the Star Spangled Banner. We have 12 performers throughout the night. And at midnight, the mayor will push that button and we will welcome in 2025. This would not be possible without the cooperation, collaboration and, quite frankly, competence of all of the city agencies. Every city agency is involved in this. We couldn't do it without them. Thank you very much, Mayor Adams, Commissioner Tisch and everyone else.

Question: [Inaudible.] Are there any extra terrorism measures in Times Square?

Deputy Commissioner Rebecca Weiner, Intelligence and Counterterrorism, Police Department: So every year we formulate our plan based on incidents that are happening around the world here in the city. Christmas markets, you just flagged a terrible incident in Germany involving Christmas markets. They're a persistent high risk target. 

And so, frankly, our New Year's Eve celebrations around the world, which is why we put so much emphasis on all of the resources that are here focused on keeping this city and this event safe. So it's absolutely calibrated to what's happening overseas. All of the resources that you heard the mayor, the police commissioner outlined, are here to avoid that type of a scenario. And obviously, a vehicle ramming incident is why we have the sand trucks, the blocker cars and all of the other resources that we'll have. So we are very confident it's going to be a safe and enjoyable evening for all.

Question: Mr. Mayor or perhaps Commissioner Weiner, can you explain the role of drones and if they were used last New Year's Eve? Someone provided an assessment as to what they were used for last New Year's Eve, what was found?

Mayor Adams: For the drones, you said, right? Okay.

Deputy Commissioner Kaz Daughtry, Operations, Police Department: Sorry. Can you repeat the question? I'm sorry.

Question: Can you explain the role of the drones this year and if they were used last year? Can you provide an overview of how it went last year?

Deputy Commissioner Daughtry: Yes. Last year, it worked really, really well with the drones. We had about four drone teams inside of the bow tie and inside of the frozen area. This year, we're adding six teams, four inside the bow tie, two on the outer perimeter, and then we're going to have mobile drone teams not only in Manhattan but throughout the whole city as well so we can monitor the city, you know, for New Year's Eve. 

We're looking for... Let's pick the pins. We're looking for any suspicious activities, as the police commissioner had mentioned, and we're also looking for any type of anomalies. Maybe somebody may be having a medical emergency. They may be... People may be in distress. So these are our officers. They're pilots with the FAA. You know, they have the FAA certified 107. But they're police officers watching a live feed so they know exactly what to look for. And if they spot anything, or any type of anomalies they may see, they'll notify the ground units right away. 

Question: I had a question about the specialized hotel units. Can you describe the depth that they've gone into to inspect the luggage and people that are coming in? How far back that goes? And just what kind of monitoring is going to be featured inside the hotels? Like metal detectors, anything like that?

Deputy Commissioner Weiner:  So, again, parts of the apparatus you see, parts you don't. And really important is to make sure that... We put it out there all the time. If you see something, say something. Do something. Alert us. So part of our effort every year, and it goes months prior to the actual day of tomorrow, is making sure that we have the right equipment. We have the right equipment. So part of what we do is making sure that when there is anomalous activity, we do the red teaming, that we realize that we're going to get feedback to us. So part of it is making sure everything is looking calm and copacetic. 

Another part is actually testing the system. And this is a really fundamental element of our counterterrorism program. When we go in with a red team and something anomalous is happening and it's in a controlled way because it's our own officers doing the testing, we do get the suspicious activity reports. 

And then we know that people are actually heeding our call to see something, say something, and that gives us a lot of confidence that if there were an anomalous event that we weren't in control of, we would be getting those early trigger warnings so that we can go in and then respond. So it's something that we do every year. It takes months and months, a lot of preparation, and it has real dividends, not just on New Year's Eve, but everyday, around the year.

Question: Is there anything that you're doing to deal with the [inaudible]? Is there anything that you're doing to deal with the Tren de Aragua threat that you haven't had to deal with in half a year?

Mayor Adams: Which threat again? 

Question: The Tren de Aragua threat of the Venezuelan gang.

Deputy Commissioner Weiner: Yes, there's been a ton of work being done by our Detective Bureau, Patrol Bureau, our Bureau over in Intel and Counterterrorism. It's an issue that we're dealing with not specific to New Year's Eve, Times Square, but some newly emergent threats, newly emergent crime patterns that we have, again, tried to combat very early and very deeply so that we haven't had the entrenchment of some of this gang here in the city that you've seen elsewhere across the country. But this isn't a threat specific to New Year's Eve or Times Square. It's just something persistently that we deal with in the large panoply of crime issues that we are very good at handling all year.

Question: Chief Chell, we saw what happened a couple of years ago on 8th Avenue. How important is what your officers are doing at those checkpoints on the first break to the success of the program here in the heart of Times Square?

Interim Chief of Patrol John Chell, Police Department: It's obviously extremely important, And the added measure we took last year which we knew from that incident now this year, we've created a perimeter around the Bow tie. So 8th Avenue, 6th Avenue, 42nd and 57th is clear of just any pedestrian. It's all police-related. So that's an adjustment we made to that night. And it's imperative that our cops do their jobs in those posts. We say we will every year and we'll keep it safe.

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