The NYPD is preparing for a heightened threat environment in anticipation of New Year's Eve festivities.

The NYPD is still operating under a "high alert" before the Times Square New Year's Eve festivities.

On Tuesday, over a million people are anticipated to gather in Times Square for the 120th annual tradition of witnessing the ball drop at midnight to usher in the New Year.

The NYPD's class of over 600 new recruits will begin their first detail on Tuesday night. At a press conference on Monday, NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch stated that there are currently no credible threats to the Times Square event, but the department has been operating in a "heightened threat environment" since the anniversary of the Oct. 7, 2023 attacks in Israel.

This year, mass demonstrations against Israel have taken place in New York City, featuring encampments, antisemitic slogans, and clashes with law enforcement at Columbia University and New York University.

"Tisch informed reporters that they will remain vigilant and deploy a tremendous amount of police resources throughout the area and across the city. This includes elite specialized units such as the emergency services unit, who will be strategically deployed on rooftops. K-9 teams with bomb sniffing dogs will patrol, while the aviation unit will scan the event and surrounding areas, paying special attention to bridges and landmarks. Lastly, drones will be deployed overhead to monitor crowds in real time and detect any suspicious or unusual activity."

This year, the NYPD will have six drone teams operating around Times Square for New Year's Eve, with four teams inside the "bow tie" and "frozen area" and two on the outer perimeter. Additionally, mobile drone teams will monitor activity over the water and around Manhattan and the rest of the city. NYPD Deputy Commissioner Kaz Daughtry made this announcement.

A Saudi psychiatrist was arrested for the Dec. 20 car-ramming at a crowded Christmas market in Magdeburg, Germany, which killed five people, including a nine-year-old boy, and injured over 200 others. As a result, the NYPD is considering implementing additional security measures in Times Square.

"Rebecca Weiner, NYPD Deputy Commissioner of Intelligence and Counterterrorism, stated that the plan is formulated based on global incidents, including Christmas markets and New Year's Eve celebrations, which are high-risk targets. The emphasis is on keeping the city and event safe, and the resources are calibrated to what's happening overseas."

Weiner stated, "We are confident that the evening will be safe and enjoyable for everyone, despite taking precautions against vehicle ramming incidents, including NYPD trucks and blocked cars at the scene."

The NYPD was also tasked with addressing the growing threat of the Venezuelan gang known as Tren de Aragua (TdA). Weiner stated that there was no specific threat related to the gang in connection to the Times Square event, but the TdA issue is "just something persistently that we deal with in the large panoply of crime issues that we are very good at handling all year."

"Our detective, patrol, and intel and counterterrorism bureaus have been working diligently to combat newly emergent threats and crime patterns. This is not specific to New Year's Eve or Times Square, but we have taken proactive measures to prevent the entrenchment of gangs in our city, as seen in other parts of the country."

The NYPD will employ pickpocket teams and hotel response teams to monitor for suspicious activity or other unusual events.

The NYPD has announced that all manholes, mailboxes, vending machines, and litter baskets in the "frozen zone" around Times Square will be either sealed or removed, and frozen safety lanes will be created around the event using blocker cars and concrete barriers. Additionally, the police commissioner stated that there will be plenty of security measures in place, some of which will not be visible to the public. The NYPD is confident in its ability to handle large-scale events, but acknowledges that it does not do it alone. The Joint Operations Center will be fully activated with all of its city, state, and federal partners.

Despite the recent increase in subway crimes and killings, including Daniel Penny's acquittal and the arrest of an illegal immigrant who set a sleeping woman on fire, New York City Mayor Eric Adams and NYPD officials still encouraged the public to use public transportation to attend the Times Square New Year's Eve event. Despite the forecast of rain, umbrellas will not be allowed in the viewing area. Additionally, backpacks, large bags, coolers, chairs, and alcohol are also prohibited.