TAIPEI (TVBS News) — Taipei deployed 3,014 personnel for Wednesday's (Dec. 31) New Year's Eve countdown, significantly upgrading security after a Dec. 19 random attack. Mayor Chiang Wan-an (蔣萬安) personally inspected security checkpoints in the afternoon at Taipei City Hall Plaza, located near Taipei 101, where the main celebration takes place. Officers conduct thorough screenings, requiring attendees to empty their pockets and submit to full-body metal detector scans. The mayor experienced the screening process firsthand to verify security protocols.
The city government implemented 13 security measures including identity verification, drone surveillance, vehicle barriers and special police forces. The Xinyi Police Precinct (信義警分局) deployed 27 mobile strike teams equipped with firearms, pepper spray, stun guns and shields. The New Taipei City Police Dog Unit (新北市警犬隊) also provided two dogs to detect dangerous items around the stage area.
Officials conducted multiple tabletop exercises for explosive threats, random attacks and crowd stampede scenarios ahead of the event. Eight emergency medical stations are positioned around the venue for immediate response to any incidents. Authorities have not released expected crowd sizes for the evening, though large turnout is anticipated given the lineup of performers.
The Taipei Rapid Transit Corporation (臺北大眾捷運股份有限公司), the city's metro operator, will operate continuously for 42 hours through midnight Thursday (Jan. 1). Free rides from Nanjing Sanmin Station (南京三民站) and Taipei Arena Station (臺北小巨蛋站) begin at 10:30 p.m. to encourage crowds to disperse from congested areas. A Jolin Tsai (蔡依林) concert at Taipei Dome (大巨蛋) ends shortly before the countdown**, adding to expected crowds**.
