Heightened security in Las Vegas on New Year’s Eve
LAS VEGAS — An unprecedented number of law enforcement officers and National Guard members will be on duty when tens of thousands of people gather to ring in 2018 on the Las Vegas Boulevard, just three months after one of the world’s most famous roadways became associated with the deadliest mass shooting in modern U.S. history.
The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department will have every officer working Sunday, while the Nevada National Guard is activating about 350 soldiers and airmen after lawmakers earlier this month approved tripling the state funding for the event’s security measures. The federal government is also sending dozens of personnel to assist with intelligence and other efforts.
“I’m confident every available resource is being used to make sure this New Year’s Eve will be safe,” Clark County Sheriff Joe Lombardo said during a news conference Wednesday.
Tourism officials expect about 330,000 to come to Las Vegas for the festivities that are anchored by a roughly eight-minute firework display at the top of seven of the destination’s casino-hotels. The show will start 10 seconds before midnight Sunday at the Stratosphere. The other firing locations are at the Venetian, Treasure Island, Caesars Palace, Planet Hollywood, Aria and MGM Grand.