Protecting more than a million New Year's Eve visitors in Times Square requires an enormous, coordinated security operation, and even then, officers face unpredictable risks, NYPD Sgt. Joe Imperatrice told Newsmax on Wednesday.
"When you think about this, there are never going to be enough officers," Imperatrice, founder of Blue Lives Matter NYC, said on Newsmax's "Wake Up America Early."
"This isn't just one agency working together to make sure that everyone that shows up there is safe with everything going on in the world," he added. "Nothing is unprecedented; anything could happen."
Imperatrice said safety measures this year include layered screening and multiple agencies working side by side to prevent an incident in the crowded secure area surrounding the ball drop.
"Well, number one, you're going to have canines. You can use technology like drones, metal detectors," he said.
"There may be checkpoints where people could get patted down or walk through metal detectors to make sure that there's no metal or possibly weapons, including knives and firearms," Imperatrice continued.
"The bomb squad will be out there, along with the feds and other city agencies," he said.
Further, the sergeant said, several other city departments will be on the scene to ensure a safer celebration, including the fire department and sanitation workers.
"It's not just a law enforcement activity here," he said. "It's everyone working together in conjunction to make sure that nothing happens."
Retired detective Tom Smith, a former FBI Joint Task Force member and co-host of the Gold Shields podcast, said the NYPD plans for the Times Square event year-round and relies heavily on intelligence gathering that the public never sees.
"It's 2026 and technology is at the forefront," Smith said.
"And not only what you see, but there's so much going on behind the scenes of the Intel gathering and the threat stream, you know, enhancements that are going on with our partners around the world to make sure that nothing is missed and everything is covered," said Smith.
Imperatrice said recent terrorism-related disruptions overseas and thwarted plots in the U.S. underscore why law enforcement must prepare for both international and domestic dangers.
"There are officers all around the world that are in other countries, other states, feeding information back to the largest city in the world," he said.
He pointed to a recent Times Square attack after a ball drop in which "an individual came out with a machete and injured two officers," adding, "we have to worry about both the foreign and domestic entities that could possibly be injuring everyone, including our men and women in blue."
The discussion also turned to New York City's incoming Mayor Zohran Mamdani, and whether the change in leadership could accelerate resignations within the NYPD.
Smith said annual retirement projections are often misunderstood and do not necessarily signal a large-scale departure.
"Do I think there's going to be a mass exodus? I don't think so," Smith said. "Because the men and women of the NYPD care about the city and its citizens more than who the mayor is."
GET TODAY NEWSMAX+:
NEWSMAX is the fastest-growing cable news channel in America with more than 30 million people watching!
Reuters Institute reports NEWSMAX is one of the top news brands in the U.S.
You need to watch NEWSMAX today.
Get it with great shows from Rob Schmitt, Greta Van Susteren, Greg Kelly, Carl Higbie, Rob Finnerty – and many more!
Find the NEWSMAX channel on your cable system – Go Here Now
BEST OFFER:
Sign up for NEWSMAX+ and get NEWSMAX, our streaming channel NEWSMAX2 and our military channel World at War.
Find hundreds of shows, movies and specials.
Even get Jon Voight's special series and President Trump's comedy programs and much more!
Watch NEWSMAX+ on your smartphone or home TV app.
Watch NEWSMAX anytime, anywhere!
Start your FREE trial now: NewsmaxPlus.com
© 2025 Newsmax. All rights reserved.