NYPD Has Eye On Sky As Cops Work To Keep Thanksgiving Crowds Safe

NEW YORK — Cops will be watching the streets during the annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, but they'll also have their eyes on the skies. New Yorkers should resist the temptation to capture the 92nd annual celebration from above by flying a drone over the massive gathering, the NYPD's counterterrorism boss said Tuesday.

The Police Department will be using extra technology at this year's parade to spot the devices and figure out where they're being flown from, said John Miller, the deputy commissioner of intelligence and counterterrorism.

"They’re very popular, people like to use them, but they’re just not appropriate in New York air space or at these events," Miller said.

Flying a drone over a big crowd constitutes reckless endangement, he said, and anyone who does so in Manhattan is "probably not going to be going home with it."

The drone watch will be just one part of the tight security at the parade, which is expected to draw more than 3.5 million spectators to the streets of Manhattan on a bitter-cold Thursday.

Thousands of cops will be keeping an eye on parade and attendees will be checked with security wands, said Chief of Patrol Rodney Harrison. No umbrellas or packages will be allowed on the route, he said.

While there's no current known threat to any Thanksgiving event or the city in general, heavy weapon teams, blocker cars and sand trucks will nonetheless be stationed along the 46-block route, police officials said.

"Our job is to offer maximum protection against any type of incident at the parade, but it’s also to make sure that we don’t protect it to the point that it’s not fun," Miller said.

Thursday's frigid weather could bring wind gusts upwards of 30 MPH and wind chills as cold as five degrees, according to the National Weather Service.

The NYPD will be monitoring wind speeds, as the gales could affect the 16 large balloons slated to fly in the parade, Harrison said. Their height will have to be adjusted if winds exceed 23 MPH and will have to be brought to the ground if gusts hit 34 MPH, he said.

"If we have to call an audible on the day of and make an adjustment, we’ll do as such," Harrison said.

Even though cops will be out in force, Police Commissioner James O'Neill said New Yorkers have a role to play in keeping the parade safe.

"Have a good time, but be aware of your surroundings and if you see something that looks unusual or that might make you uncomfortable, there’s going to be thousands of cops there," O'Neill said. "Flag somebody down and give us a chance to fully investigate it."

(Lead image: A police officer stands guard during the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in 2017. Photo by Dia Dipasupil/Getty Images)