Government officials around the world are increasing security as massive crowds gather in celebration of the New Year. Recent terror attacks at celebratory events in major cities have law enforcement officials stepping up their counter-terrorism efforts in unprecedented ways.
Berlin: Safe Zones for Women
After hundreds of women were assaulted by gangs of immigrant men during New Year’s Eve parties in Germany, Berlin authorities have created a “safe zone” for women who feel threatened by sexual assault or robbery.
Small mobile police stations will be set up for rapid police response and citizen searches.
Large bags, glass bottles, and alcoholic drinks will be banned at the Brandenburg Gate.
An extra 1,600 police will be deployed around the city—Concrete barricades and fences will also be erected
New York City: Tightest Security Ever
Concrete barriers, blocker cars, and sand trucks will block off the downtown area and major subway stations will be closed.
Heavy double screenings, teams of counter-snipers, heavy weapons teams, and specially trained “vapor-wake” bomb-sniffing dogs have also been deployed.
All 125 parking garages of Times Square will also be closed off to prevent car bombs
About 1,000 security cameras are installed in and around Times Square to monitor the party.
Undercover police will be positioned around Times Square
NYPD officers are being assigned to every hotel in the Times Square area; guests at area hotels will be screened in advance.
Increased security at New York City airports, bridges, tunnels, and mass transit systems.
London
A record number of armed officers will patrol New Year’s Eve celebrations this year.
London will deploy vehicle barriers, armed public officer squads, bomb-sniffing dogs, and undercover agents.
Officials will also use CCTV cameras and automatic number plate recognition to patrol the areas.
Paris
Officials in Paris will deploy 8,000 policemen and soldiers. Alcohol will be banned at Champs-Élysées. Concrete barriers will be placed to prevent entry of vehicular suicide bombers.
Las Vegas
The Las Vegas Metropolitan police department will have every officer working after lawmakers approved tripling the state’s funding for event security members.
The Nevada National Guard is activating about 350 soldiers and airmen to bolster security in Las Vegas.
Crews have installed nearly 800 steel posts along the Las Vegas Strip to prevent suicide bombers from attacking casinos. Officials will position 4,200 temporary metal barricades on the strip for the evening.
Large bags, strollers, backpacks and coolers are banned on the strip.
Sydney
Several thousand police officers will be patrolling the Sydney area as well as dozens of riot policemen equipped with military-style semiautomatic rifles. Undercover officers will mingle anonymously with the crowds.
Police and government vehicles will be used to block off some of the roads.
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