Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade faces no credible security threats, New York City officials say
The Dora the Explorer balloon is inflated on Wednesday night in Manhattan, ahead of the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. Credit: Ed Quinn
The Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade faces no credible or specific threats, officials said, except for Mother Nature.
The 98th version of the annual Manhattan parade on Thursday will have its usual complement of NYPD security measures, including the deployment of thousands of police officers — both in and out of uniform — and a host of other special precautions to keep the route safe, officials said at a Wednesday evening news conference.
Mayor Eric Adams and his newly minted Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch, addressing the media at the Central Park news conference, said the NYPD's safety measures include drones, bomb-sniffing dogs, radiation detectors and specially armed officers.
Chief of Department Jeffrey Maddrey on Wednesday said all of the NYPD chiefs will be on duty, as well as officers assigned to special reaction units like the strategic response group and community response teams.
The wind is expected to allow the balloons to fly — it should top out at about 13 mph, according to the National Weather Service. There is, however, a 100% chance of rain before 3 p.m.
Last year's parade saw the arrests of 40 protesters, Maddrey said. Demonstrators protesting the Israel-Hamas war glued their hands to the ground on Sixth Avenue, among other tactics.
"To all the grinches out there who think they can disrupt the parade, we will not let that happen," Adams said on Wednesday, adding that peaceful demonstrations would be allowed.
Tisch, who was sworn in as NYPD commissioner on Monday, urged attendees to take public transportation to the parade, given the abundance of street closings.
This year's parade will feature 22 big balloons and 34 floats, as well as the usual assortment of marching bands. The parade begins at Central Park West and West 77th Street at 8:30 a.m. and proceeds downtown before ending as usual in front of Macy's in Herald Square.
The Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade faces no credible or specific threats, officials said, except for Mother Nature.
The 98th version of the annual Manhattan parade on Thursday will have its usual complement of NYPD security measures, including the deployment of thousands of police officers — both in and out of uniform — and a host of other special precautions to keep the route safe, officials said at a Wednesday evening news conference.
Mayor Eric Adams and his newly minted Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch, addressing the media at the Central Park news conference, said the NYPD's safety measures include drones, bomb-sniffing dogs, radiation detectors and specially armed officers.
Chief of Department Jeffrey Maddrey on Wednesday said all of the NYPD chiefs will be on duty, as well as officers assigned to special reaction units like the strategic response group and community response teams.
The wind is expected to allow the balloons to fly — it should top out at about 13 mph, according to the National Weather Service. There is, however, a 100% chance of rain before 3 p.m.
Last year's parade saw the arrests of 40 protesters, Maddrey said. Demonstrators protesting the Israel-Hamas war glued their hands to the ground on Sixth Avenue, among other tactics.
"To all the grinches out there who think they can disrupt the parade, we will not let that happen," Adams said on Wednesday, adding that peaceful demonstrations would be allowed.
Tisch, who was sworn in as NYPD commissioner on Monday, urged attendees to take public transportation to the parade, given the abundance of street closings.
This year's parade will feature 22 big balloons and 34 floats, as well as the usual assortment of marching bands. The parade begins at Central Park West and West 77th Street at 8:30 a.m. and proceeds downtown before ending as usual in front of Macy's in Herald Square.
Anthony M. DeStefano has been a reporter for Newsday since 1986 and covers law enforcement, criminal justice and legal affairs from its New York City offices.
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