New York tightens security ahead of NYE

Security concerns are heightened ahead of the iconic New Year's Eve ball drop in New York City's Times Square. As Israel expands its ground offensive in Gaza, ten security agencies, including the FBI, say this has created a heightened threat environment. The security package is not just crowd control and traffic, but what the NYPD calls the Counter Terrorism Overlay, which includes a network of cameras, NYPD counter-sniper teams in skyscrapers above, bomb-detection canines, radiation detectors worn by police on the street, and an especially equipped NYPD helicopter from above. Police are also focused on potential demonstrations relating to the Israel-Hamas conflict. This comes after protests occurred in New York over the conflict, where some attendees announced their intent to disrupt the lighting of the Rockefeller Centre Christmas tree.