Sheriff Joe Lombardo speaks during a news conference at Las Vegas Metro Police headquarters Monday, Dec. 21, 2015. Lombardo spoke on the fatal auto-pedestrian accident that killed one and injured over 30 people on the Las Vegas Strip Sunday night.
Monday, Dec. 21, 2015 | 12:22 p.m.
Clark County Sheriff Joe Lombardo says Sunday’s tragedy on the Las Vegas Strip won’t halt planning for the city’s annual New Year’s Eve celebration.
“Obviously, America’s Party is happening in two weeks, and we’re doing everything we can to ensure everybody’s safety,” Lombardo said today. “I’m confident at this point we have all the mechanisms in place to be successful, and we’re being very proactive to be successful.”
Las Vegas’ party regularly draws crowds of more than 300,000 to the Strip, which is blocked to traffic during the celebration. Metro floods the area with officers and takes other behind-the-scenes precautions to maintain safety.
This year, plans include an 8-minute fireworks show featuring 80,000 aerial explosions.
Last year, an estimated 340,000 people turned out, despite temperatures that dipped into the 20s. Metro reported making 32 arrests, or fewer than 1 percent of the celebrants.
“The 2014-2015 N.Y.E. celebration remains one of the most orderly within recent history,” read a Metro release.
The year before, Metro made 26 arrests.
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