With at least three major New Year countdowns taking place across Singapore tonight, party organisers are marshalling extra security to ensure a safe environment for the massive crowds set to show up.
Partygoers can expect bag checks and long queues at entrances to the year-end celebrations.
The Marina Bay Singapore Countdown 2017 party will see a heavy presence of police and auxiliary police officers (APOs), as well as security officers, with two major roads in the Civic District closed for the night. These are St Andrew's Road and Connaught Drive.
APOs are from private security firms and trained to carry firearms, arrest offenders and manage traffic and crowds.
Organised by the Urban Redevelopment Authority and the Esplanade, the party is Singapore's largest New Year event and expected to draw more than 300,000 people.
The police said officers from the Protective Security Command and Emergency Response Teams will also be on duty at the party.
Mediacorp's Celebrate 2017: Countdown With The Stars, a street party at Suntec, will have bag checks at every entry point, said its senior manager of brand and communications, Ms Yeong Lai Lai.
The Siloso Beach Party countdown on Sentosa Island will have tighter security with help from APOs and other security agencies.
Divisional director of operations at Sentosa Leisure Management, Mr Koh Piak Huat, said that besides enhanced crowd control measures, front-line staff are also trained to look out for potential threats as part of community policing efforts.
Event organisers, however, declined to elaborate on the safety measures for security reasons.
Meanwhile, the police and party organisers have urged people to be vigilant and to report any crime or concern to the authorities.
Student Valerie Toh, who will attend the Siloso Beach Party with her boyfriend, shrugs off the unavoidable serpentine queues, saying the bag checks and extra security measures are necessary.
"It is definitely inconvenient but, for our safety, I think it is better to go through such procedures," said the 19-year-old.
"Better safe than sorry."
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