Cities Boost Security for Fourth of July Celebrations

In the wake of a foiled attack in Cleveland, police around the country are stepping up security for the Fourth.

• By Sydny Shepard
• Jul 03, 2018

On Monday, July 2, the FBI announced they had foiled a planned attack on pedestrians celebrating the Fourth of July in Cleveland, Ohio. This announcement, plus the news that AAA is estimating 46.9 million Americans will be traveling to enjoy the holiday, has pushed police departments to announce their plans of security at some of the major soft targets in the country during Independence Day.

Boston. The City of Boston Police Commissioner William Evans and Mayor Marty Walsh say their focus on the Fourth of July is to keep the tens of thousands of people who are expected to flock to the Esplanade of Hatch Shell on Wednesday safe. Commissioner Evans told local news reporters that the police department has been planning the security of the celebration for quite some time and are taking a "layered approach" to securing those at the event.

The city will be using large capacity vehicles to block crowds from potential vehicle attacks as well as limiting the amount of access points to the celebration so that people can be checked and scanned before they enter the event.

New York City. The NYPD has stressed that there are no credible threats to the city on the Fourth of July at this time, but that they will continue to be alert in securing the city for the Independence Day celebrations.

NYPD Police Commissioner James O'Neill said there would be extra security for the Macy's Fourth of July fireworks. That includes 6,000 officers on duty and 100 sand trucks and other "blocker" vehicles to reduce the threat of vehicle attacks.

NYPD will be deploying their bomb squad, long gun teams and dogs that are trained to sniff out threats.

The city is expecting to see close to two million spectators along the East River for the fireworks display. Traffic closures around the event will begin around 3 p.m.