Police departments and emergency management agencies across the US stepped up security measures on New Year’s Eve on Wednesday as people gathered to celebrate 2026.
The celebrations are overshadowed by the anniversary of the ISIS-inspired truck-spinning terrorist attack in New Orleans on January 1, which killed 15 people and injured several others. Wednesday’s celebration also came two weeks after the Justice Department arrested four people linked to an alleged plot to detonate a bomb in the Los Angeles area on the last day of the year.
Public safety administrators told reporters that about 800 local, state and federal law enforcement officers would patrol the downtown area of New Orleans. A security officer gave this information Week.
Officials said members of the Louisiana National Guard will help create an “enhanced security zone” with a focus on redirecting traffic and searching bags as crowds move through Bourbon Street and other densely populated parts of the city.
“We are leveraging all of our law enforcement resources and public safety partners,” New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell said. He said law enforcement officials are “fully adapting to what we experienced almost a year ago.”
“I believe we have proven…since that time, how we are going the extra mile to ensure the safety of our residents as well as our visitors,” Cantrell said.
In Southern California, thousands of law enforcement personnel were working to secure the annual New Year’s Day Rose Parade, According to NBC Los AngelesL,A, County expects nearly one million people to descend on downtown Pasadena for the 137th installment of the parade,
“We have a lot of people who are going to be out here, some who will be uniformed and others who you won’t see,” Pasadena Police Chief Eugene Harris told NBC Los Angeles. He said officials will have a zero-tolerance policy for disruptive behavior along the 5.5-mile parade route.
The Los Angeles Police Department’s media office did not immediately respond to a request for comment Wednesday. In a statement to Spectrum NewsLAPD Officer Rosario Cervantes said the department would have “an adequate amount of officers in the city” to deal with any threat.
New York City plans to send “thousands” of police officers to patrol Times Square as the busy tourist destination prepares for New Year’s Eve, NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch told reporters at a security briefing Tuesday.
“We never tell you the exact numbers, but rest assured, the entire New York City Police Department will be operating between December 31 and January 1,” Tisch said.
Tisch said the city has “no specific credible threat” against the celebration in Times Square.
Outgoing New York Mayor Eric Adams said the widespread deployment would include personnel from the city’s intelligence and counterterrorism units, as well as officers in plain clothes, on horseback, on trains, in helicopters and on boats.
Chicago, Philadelphia and Boston are also increasing precautions in the final hours of 2025.
Chicago’s Office of Emergency Management is encouraging residents to publicly “Vigilant in the crowd” And report suspicious activity by calling 911. The city is expecting a huge turnout for the riverside fireworks show at Navy Pier.
In response to a request for comment on the national security situation, the FBI said it “continuously gathers intelligence about potential threats, and we regularly share information with law enforcement partners to help protect the communities we all serve.”
“The FBI encourages the public to remain vigilant and report anything that seems suspicious to law enforcement,” the bureau said.
Security measures were increased in other major cities around the world.
For example, Australia welcomed 2026 with a massive fireworks display under a heavy police presence, Reuters reportedThe spectacle came two weeks after an anti-Semitic attack at a Hanukkah celebration on Sydney’s Bondi Beach left 15 people dead and dozens injured,
Organizers of the fireworks show held a minute of silence for the victims of the attack.
According to Reuters, Sydney Lord Mayor Clover Moore said before the event, “After a tragic end to the year for our city, we hope New Year’s Eve will provide an opportunity to come together and look with hope to a peaceful and prosperous 2026.”
