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Retired NYPD Chief John Chell warned on conservative airwaves that canceling New York City’s New Year’s Eve festivities would send the wrong message about American resolve, and his voice deserves to be heard. Chell, a recent and visible critic of soft-on-crime policies and an outspoken defender of traditional policing, has repeatedly urged officials to rely on experienced law enforcement judgment rather than reflexive closures.
City officials have made clear that Times Square will be protected by an extraordinary security posture: uniformed and plainclothes officers, K‑9 teams, helicopters, perimeter hardening with sanitation trucks and blocker vehicles, and checkpoints to screen crowds before they enter viewing sectors. Police and mayoral briefings emphasize that while the threat environment is heightened, there are no specific, credible plans to strike Times Square, and layered tactics are in place to keep revelers safe.
Across the Atlantic, Paris officials chose to cancel the live concert on the Champs‑Élysées this year citing crowd control and security concerns, replacing it with a pre‑recorded broadcast and limited fireworks, a decision that has fuelled debate about public courage versus caution. That choice should give U.S. leaders pause: when European capitals start surrendering their streets, the West’s cultural confidence erodes and radicals take heart.
We should not conflate prudence with defeat. There is a clear difference between canceling because of an imminent, specific threat and bolstering protections so the people can celebrate safely; New Yorkers and Americans deserve the latter. Yielding public squares to fear hands victory to the very people who wish to alter our way of life through terror and intimidation.
Conservative commentators and former officials have echoed Chell’s sentiment that confident, well‑resourced policing is the right answer — not retreat. Former Mayor Rudy Giuliani and others who’ve overseen major events have reminded the public that with planning, resources, and decisive command, big cities can hold major gatherings without ceding the public realm to fear.
This moment is also a test of political leadership. Officials who reward tough policing with resources and clear authority will keep streets open and safe; those who cheer on policies that hollow out deterrence invite the very chaos that leads to cancellations. John Chell has publicly warned about the consequences of soft policing and the need for accountability and consequences for assaults on officers — positions that should drive policy, not partisan applause.
Let law enforcement do its job, let planners execute the security plan, and let the people reclaim their holidays. Cancelling America’s public rituals because of fear would be a gift to radicals and a defeat for common sense; leadership must choose courage, not capitulation. The city’s resilience and its police deserve our support — not our surrender.
