Officials:Times Square New Year's Eve celebration to feature heightened security and thousands of NYPD cops

For the first time since the start of the pandemic, the Times Square New Year’s Eve celebration will be welcoming back all revelers to the Crossroads of the World under the heightened security and the presence of thousands of NYPD officers.

“We are very happy to invite everyone back to a safer Times Square,” said Tom Harris of the Times Square Alliance--an organization that helps promote Times Square businesses and encourages economic development and improvements--at a news conference Friday with Mayor Eric Adams, NYPD Commissioner Keechant Sewell and other officials.

Revelers will be allowed in designated central viewing areas holding about 60,000 people, who will be admitted on a first come, first serve basis.  Hundreds of thousands more are expected to ring the outer periphery or be in nearby hotels.

“This year we are inviting everyone back, last year we had the restrictions," noted Harris, referring to the social distancing rules which last year cut by nearly 75% the revelers allowed in designated central viewing areas.

Those areas can contain about 60,000 people, who will be admitted on a first come, first serve basis.  Hundreds of thousands more are expected to ring the outer periphery or be in nearby hotels, city oficials said.

Under last year’s pandemic restrictions, vaccination proof and corresponding identification was needed before entry into the viewing area.  But the city has no restrictions this year.

Rain is expected and crowds going through checkpoints will be electronically scanned before entering  the viewing area and  will not be allowed to carry umbrellas and everyone is being advised to bring ponchos and to dress warmly.  Other barred items include blankets, backpacks and alcoholic beverages. Since there are no public bathrooms in the viewing area, celebrants will have to go outside the perimeter to find such services and then go back through security if they want to reenter the viewing area, officials said.

The crowds in the area will be under the watchful eyes of a full compliment of NYPD officers and resources, including explosive detection canines, heavy weapons teams, drone interdiction technology, radiation detection teams as well as special 29 hotel teams to be stationed in facilities around the Times Square area, said Chief Thomas Galati , head of NYPD intelligence and counterterrorism.  The Lower Manhattan Security Initiative will also be monitoring over 1,000 security cameras, Galati added.

Both Galati and Sewell noted that there were no known, credible or specific threats to the event. But officials said they are taking no chances.  Galati said that 62 sand-ladened sanitation trucks will block streets,  along with 173  NYPD blocker cars, and 200 large cement blocks.  Plainclothes officers will also be in the crowd.

Officials said that entry into the viewing area will be at checkpoints set up at Sixth and Eighth Avenues, at 38th, 49th, 52nd and 56th Streets.

By Anthony M. DeStefano

tony.destefano@newsday.comtonynewsday

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.