Dec. 31 (UPI) — Large protests and unsophisticated lone-wolf acts of violence are the top concerns for law enforcement officials as more than a million people are expected to jam Times Square in Manhattan for the annual New Year’s Eve ball drop.
New York City Police and Homeland Security said while there are no known specific threats to the celebration, which is also watched live by millions more on television, the ongoing geopolitical climate will have them on alert.
Homeland Security said it is worried about hard-to-detect in advance “simple, unsophisticated attacks,” resulting from political climate in the Middle East.
“The Israel-Hamas conflict has created a heightened threat environment; therefore, the intelligence community remains concerned about the lone offenders encouraging threats of violence against Jewish, Muslim, Christian, and Arab communities, in response to the ongoing conflict,” Homeland Security said, according to NBC News.
New York City Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said personnel will try to get into the NYE crowd and throughout the boroughs, enabling them to respond faster to potential situations.
“The public can expect to see a tremendous amount of police resources deployed throughout the area and across the city,” Tisch told CBS News. “That includes members of some of our elite specialized units, including our Emergency Service unit, who will be strategically deployed throughout the area on rooftops, and our K9 teams, who will patrol bomb-sniffing dogs.
“Our aviation unit will be in the skies scanning the event and the surrounding area, with special attention to the bridges and other landmarks.”