Chicago New Year ’s Eve celebrations will mean street closures and a lot of police officers
The Windy City authorities prepare to keep citizens safe during the holiday festivities.
As thousands of people pour into downtown Chicago late Tuesday to celebrate New Year's Eve, more than 1,000 additional officers will spread throughout the city to keep revelers safe during the holiday.
The Chicago Police Department and the Chicago Office-Emergency Management revealed Monday that extra officers on foot, bikes and mounted patrols will join members of law enforcement monitoring public transportation, according to patrol bureau chief Fred Waller.
"Roughly 1,300 additional police officers will be deployed to keep everyone safe," Waller said Monday.
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Crowds are expected to gather downtown for festivities, which include fireworks. While the majority of extra officers will be in uniform to increase visibility, plainclothes officers also will mingle with crowds.
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A team of 300 officers will be deployed specifically for one fireworks display along the Chicago River, while a second team of officers will monitor a fireworks show at Navy Pier.
“Many of these officers have had their days off canceled to work on this important night,” Waller said. “Officers from every district and every division will be pitching in this year.”
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State police patrols on Chicago freeways also will increase.
The city's downtown Riverwalk will close at 10 p.m. Tuesday, along with some streets and bridges near the river, according to FOX32.
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“We are anticipating large crowds and significant traffic impacts in the downtown area,” said Rich Guidice, executive director of Chicago’s Office of Emergency Management and Communications.
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The boost in New Year's Eve security comes as the city is on the verge of closing out 2019 with sizable drops in shootings and homicides for the third straight year. Through roughly mid-December, about 475 people were killed, compared with 549 in 2018, which is a 14 percent drop. In 2016, the number of homicides was roughly 750, according to Chicago police data.
The declines happened citywide, including in historically high-crime areas. Still, Chicago has more violent crime than New York and Los Angeles.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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