PREPARATIONS FOR ONE OF THE
BIGGEST NEW YEAR'S EVE
CELEBRATIONS UNDERWAY IN TIMES
SQUARE.
STAGES ARE BEING BUILT, THE BALL
LIFTED UP INTO PLACE YESTERDAY,
AND THEY EVEN DID A CONFETTI
TEST TODAY, OKAY?
THE CONFETTI TEST.
THE NYPD HAS SAID THIS YEAR THE
NEW YEAR'S EVE CELEBRATIONS-THE
TIGHTEST SECURITY EVER FOLLOWING
NOT ONE, BUT TWO TERROR ATTACKS
IN NEW YORK CITY WITHIN THE LAST
TWO MONTHS.
SO JUST HOW WILL THE NYPD BE OUT
IN FORCE THIS YEAR, AND WHAT
THEY BE LOOKING FOR TO KEEP YOU
SAFE?
JOINING ME, MIKE O'NEIL, THE CEO
NYPD COUNTERTERRORISM COMMANDING
OFFICER.
HE'S ALSO THE FIRST-EVER C.O.
FOR THE UNIT YOU HELPED TO
CREATE, SO YOU ARE AN EXPERT IN
KEEPING NEW YORK CITY AND OTHER
CITIES SAFE.
FROM A SECURITY POINT OF VIEW?
>> I THINK THE NYPD ENHANCES
SECURITY EVERY YEAR.
AND CHANGE IT EVERY YEAR.
WHAT THEY'RE GOING TO CONSIDER
IS HOW THE THREAT HAS EVOLVED
WHAT I WILL CALL LOW-TECH,
SIMPLIFIED ATTACK WHICH COULD
HAVE HIGH CONSEQUENCES WHETHER
IT'S A TRUCK RAMMING INTO A
A BARRICADE AROUND TIMES SQUARE?
>> RIGHT.
WHEN I WAS IN COUNTERTERRORISM,
PEOPLE SAID YOU COULDN'T SECURE
AN EVENT LIKE THAT.
LAUREN LAUREN WELL, CAN YOU?
>> YOU CAN, AND THE NYPD DOES A
GREAT JOB.
THEY'LL PUT A PHYSICAL PERIMETER
IN PLACE HOURS BEFORE THE EVENT
TO LOCK THE AREA DOWN.
THEY'LL START SCREENING
EVERYTHING WITHIN THAT AREA
WHETHER IT'S PARKING GARAGES,
HOTELS, SANITIZERS TO MAKE SURE
THERE'S NO EXPLOSIVES OR
WEAPONS, AND THEY'LL PUT A
PROCEDURE IN PLACE TO MONITOR
ANYTHING COMING IN AND DO
ONGOING MONITORING OF THE EVENT
ITSELF.
LAUREN: MAYOR BILL DE BLASIO
SAYS, LOOK, THERE'S NO CREDIBLE
THREATS, BUT ARE YOU MORE
CONCERNED THAN NORMAL?
I MEAN, ISIS IS ALWAYS POSING A
THREAT.
WE DID HAVE TWO RECENT TERROR
ATTACKS HERE IN NEW YORK CITY.
ARE YOU MORE CONCERNED THAN
NORMAL?
>> IT'S DEFINITELY A TARGET OF
OPPORTUNITY.
IT'S GOT MASSIVE MEDIA COVERAGE
AS WELL.
AND WITH THE WAY THE THREAT HAS
EVOLVED, WHEN WE DON'T KNOW
CREDIBLE THREATS, DOESN'T MEAN
THEY DON'T EXIST.
WE'RE SEEING PEOPLE ARE GETTING
RADICALIZED IN THEIR HOME OVER
THE INTERNET AND, UNFORTUNATELY,
IT'S NOT HARD TO USE THESE
LAUREN: OUT IN WILL HAVE AFTER
THAT -- IN LOVE AFTER THAT
SHOOTING MASSACRE, LAS VEGAS,
HAVE THE NATIONAL GUARD, THEY'RE
HOW DO YOU THINK VEGAS -- WHICH
MIGHT NOT HAVE THE EXPERIENCE
THAT NEW YORK CITY HAS -- HOW DO
YOU THINK THEY'RE COPING WITH
IT?
>> I THINK LAS VEGAS PROBABLY
BECAME FAST LEARNERS AFTER THE
RECENT TERRIBLE ATTACK THEY HAD
WITH THE ACTIVE SHOOTER IN THE
HOTEL.
AND THEY'RE PROBABLY TAKING
THINGS INTO CONSIDERATION EVERY
TIME NOW THAT THEY PLAN FOR A
SPECIAL EVENT, USING
COUNTER-SNIPERS, AGAIN, CREATING
A PHYSICAL SECURITY MEASURE.
LOOK AT EVENT IN TIMES SQUARE ON
MONDAY, ON SUNDAY NIGHT AS A
CASE STUDY ON HOW TO POLICE A
SPECIAL EVENT.
AND ALL THE TECHNOLOGY AND
MANPOWER THAT'S PUT IN THERE TO
ADDRESS EVERY KIND OF ATTACK
MODALITY THAT MIGHT COME AT
THEM.
LAUREN: AND MONEY.
YOU'RE GOING TO BE IN A PUBLIC
VENUE TO CELEBRATE 2018.
WHAT DO YOU DO?
WHAT DO YOU LOOK FOR?
WHAT'S THE FIRST THING YOU DO TO
BE AWAR OF YOUR SURROUNDINGS?
>> WELL, THE COMMUNITY AND THE
PUBLIC ARE A GREAT PART OF ANY
PROGRAM.
WE USED TO GO OUT AND DO
TRAINING WITH COMMUNITY GROUPS.
AND IT WASN'T TO SCARE THEM, WE
WANTED TO EMPOWER THEM WITH
INFORMATION, WE WANT YOU TO GO
IT, BUT MINDFUL OF YOUR
DOESN'T LOOK RIGHT, ALERT US.
AND THAT COULD BE THE
>> EXACTLY.
IF YOU SEE SOMETHING, SAY
SOMETHING IS A GREAT CAMPAIGN,
AND IT'S NOT JUST A MARKETING
PLOY.
IT REALLY MEANS SOMETHING.
LAUREN: AND DON'T WORRY IF YO
MIGHT BE INSULTING SOMEBODY --
>> ABSOLUTELY NOT.
LAUREN: IT'S BETTER TO BE SAFE
THAN SORRY.
DO YOU EXPECT -- IT'S GOING TO
YEAR'S NEW
YEAR'S WE'VE EVER SEEN, DO YOU
EXPECT PEOPLE TO SAY, YOU KNOW
WHAT?
WE DON'T WANT TO CROWD AND
HUDDLE TOGETHER IN TIMES SQUARE,
WE'RE GOING TO NOT DO THAT THIS
YEAR.
>> THERE'S A SAYING THAT
THOSE PENS WILL BE FULL.
I DON'T THINK THE COLD WEATHER'S
GOING TO KEEP PEOPLE AWAY AT
ALL.
LAUREN: DISNEY DID SOMETHING
NOT DISTURB SIGNS THAT YOU PUT
ON YOUR HOTEL ROOM DOORS.
SO, BASICALLY, EVERY DAY HOTEL
STAFF CAN GO IN --
>> RIGHT.
LAUREN: -- KIND OF SEE WHAT'S
GOING ON.
WHAT DO YOU MAKE OF THAT MOVE,
AND HOW DO YOU THINK WE'RE GOING
TO RESPOND?
>> I THINK THAT'S PROBABLY A
RESPONSE TO THE LAS VEGAS
I'D PROBABLY TELLING TELL YOU T'
I'D PROBABLY TELLING TELL YOU TE
LOOKING AT ATTACK GEOMETRIES.
IF THERE'S CERTAIN ROOMS THAT
ARE OVERLOOKING A HIGH
LAUREN: THEY'RE DOING THIS WHERE
THE MONORAILS RUN.
>> EXACTLY.
THEY PROBABLY WANT TO MAKE SURE
PEOPLE CAN'T HAVE ACCESS TO
CARRY OUT AN ATTACK THERE.
SOMETIMES IT'S GOOD TO JUST PUT
IT OUT THERE, TO PUT IT IN
PEOPLE'S MIND.
MAYBE SOMEONE WAS THINKING ABOUT
THAT, AND THAT MIGHT THINK
TWICE.
I UNDERSTAND IT'S A --
LAUREN: DO YOU THINK GUESTS WILL
UNDERSTAND THAT?
>> I THINK IF YOU EXPLAIN IT TO
THEM WELL, IF YOU'RE NOT
IMPEDING ON THEIR PRIVACY, I
THINK PEOPLE ENJOY SAFETY.
YOU GO TO DISNEY WORLD TO HAVE A
GREAT TIME WITH YOUR FAMILY.
LAUREN: YOU WANT A GREAT, SAFE
IF YOU HAVE GOOD SECURITY