Monday, January 1, 2018
Las Vegas observed the New Year Celebration with the snipers and helicopters. More than half a dozen police officers were deployed to tackle a situation.
Las Vegas observed New Year’s Eve since the shooting on 1st October, when Stephen Paddock shot hundreds of rounds from the 32nd floor of the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino, killing more than 50 people and wounding hundreds of others. For decades, 31 December has been the biggest night of the year in Las Vegas, drawing the national and international tourists from all over the world who come to party with abandon on the Strip.
For years, the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department had lobbied federal officials to give New Year’s Eve the Department of Homeland Security’s top special event assessment rating, which would provide the city with federal officers and resources like intelligence and helicopter teams. A few weeks after the October shooting, the Police Department of Las Vegas got word that they would receive the rating for the first time this year.
More than 330,000 visitors visited on the strip in New Year’s Eve.
While there was a slight dip in tourism just after the shooting, Cathy Tull, senior vice president of marketing, said that conversations with focus groups showed that the hesitancy to visit was not because of safety fears.
The Las Vegas shooting has prompted the New York Police Department to reconsider its New Year’s preparations as well, with the city, and Times Square in particular, long considered likely targets.
The department has used the rooftop observation teams and counter-snipers across a more vast area of real estate than in past years.
They have also given a close watch to the hotels, office buildings and residential high-rises around Seventh Avenue and Broadway, from the West 40s through the West 50s to maintain the peace during the celebration.
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