NYPD Beefs Up Thanksgiving Parade Counterterrorism Efforts Following Colorado Shooting; No NYC Threats Received

While stressing that no “active, credible or specific threats” have been received regarding tomorrow’s annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, the NYPD said today that additional counterterrorism officers and measures will be deployed in light of this week’s nightclub shooting in Colorado Springs and recent online threats to the Jewish targets.

During a press conference at the traditional balloon-inflations on New York’s Upper West Side, Mayor Eric Adams and NYPD officials outlined security measures – without getting into specific numbers and details – that will be taken for Thursday morning’s holiday event. Officials expect more than 3 million spectators to line the parade route in Manhattan.

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The NYPD’s Chief of Counterterrorism Martine Materasso began her comments by noting that while there is no current active, credible or specific threats to New York City, this week’s shooting at the LGBTQ+ Club Q nightclub in Colorado Springs and the recent arrests of two men in connection to threats against a New York synagogue have prompted the department’s counterterrorism bureau to employ “additional resources to assure safety.”

“Expect to see additional counterterrorism officers [during the holiday season] at religious nightlife locations, holiday markets, religious institutions, shopping centers and the Rockefeller Center tree,” Materasso said.

While both Materasso and Police Commissioner Keechant L. Sewell declined to provide specific numbers as to how many officers would be at the parade – “there will be officers you see and officers you do not see,” said Sewell – Materasso provided what was some rather grim information at what was an otherwise upbeat event.

“We will deploy,” she said, “a full cadre of counterterroism assets including but not limited to heavy weapons teams, explosive detection canines, our bomb squad, radiological and chemical sensors, countersurveillance teams, drone detection and mitigation, sand trucks and blocker vehicles, and additional cameras” along the parade route.

Watch video of the presser below, with security information coming around the 11:00 mark.

The officials said they expect no adverse weather conditions or winds that could impact the parade.

The 2022 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade kicks off tomorrow at 8:45 a.m. ET and will be broadcast on NBC and stream on Peacock from 9 a.m. to noon in all time zones.

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