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American Morning

Times Square Safe for New Year's

Aired December 31, 2001 - 07:53   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: And speaking of resolutions, officials of New York have resolved that this year's New Year's Eve celebration is going to be a safe one.

Our Deborah Feyerick has a look now at the measures to which they're going to make sure that happens.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DEBORAH FEYERICK, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The ball's in place, the pole is polished, and a giant 2002 ready to light up New Year's Eve at Times Square. The big bash being planned by Jeffrey Straus (ph).

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We're going to show the world, because there will be 1 billion people watching us around the world, and they're going to see New York City and America standing tall united, determined to celebrate our future here in Times Square.

FEYERICK: The mood in the wake of September 11 will be decidedly patriotic, lots of red, white and blue. Triangles of Waterford crystal adorning the famous ball have been engraved this year with the country's rescue squads and wives of the victims.

Charlie Predose (ph) is the technician putting this in place. He has worked on the Olympics too -- piece of cake he says, compared to Times Square.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Logistically here, everything's a challenge. You want to put -- you want to get something from 42nd Street to 45th Street, you'd think that would take 10 minutes. It could actually take two hours.

FEYERICK (on camera): Like crisscrossing seven miles of cable across Times Square -- you're looking at ABC here; at the recruiting station. This is everything you're working with. I mean you're going to be switching from all these buildings basically.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Right. Right. We have -- we have cameras on about five different buildings and on many camera platforms and scissor-lips basically to get a feel of not just the ball -- the ball is a great thing and a symbol that people are drawn to and come for, but in the end, 2 million people don't show up to watch just the ball drop. They come for the comradery. FEYERICK (voice-over): The city's already on heightened alert following the September 11 attacks. Security normally tight, will be at an even higher level than it was during the millennium celebrations when New York City was a potential terrorist target. There'll be more police, nearly 7,000 of them and checkpoints, handheld metal and radiation detectors.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It gives us a sense of security that people aren't bringing things in such as some type of explosive device, or something that they can ignite. We're just taking extra precautions.

FEYERICK: Precautions like corralling party goers into separate barricaded pens, securing manholes, removing mail boxes, and warning people no bags; no briefcases; no umbrellas allowed.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: When you look at it for the worst, we hope for the best.

FEYERICK (on camera): While New Year's at Times Square promises to be the biggest party in the city, there'll also be time for reflection as the ball is hoisted up at 6:00 p.m., bells will ring across the city in memory of those lost. The last time that happened was during World War II.

(voice-over): Even with the threat risk in 2000, more than one and a half million people turned out to celebrate the millennium. Police say they're ready no matter how large the crowd, and this year's ball dropping guest of honor, the city's mayor, Rudy Giuliani ringing in the New Year with a push of the button. Then one minute after midnight, New York City gets a new mayor to start the New Year and face continuing challenges.

Deborah Feyerick, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

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