Solar eclipse: New York pumps up police force for big crowds, warns criminals will ‘get caught’

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Sky watchers treated to solar eclipse over South America

Insight from Space.com senior writer Mike Wall as the path of totality crosses over Argentina and Chile.

As eclipse chasers prepare their trip to the path of totality, law enforcement and local governments in western New York are working behind the scenes to maintain order amid the astrological craze.

At least a half million revelers – perhaps even a million – are expected in the area, primarily in Niagara Falls and Erie County, on Monday for the event, based on hotel reservations and data from previous eclipses elsewhere, according to New York State Police spokesperson Trooper James O’Callahan.

But data collected on the day of the event, like information collected from tolls, could show an even larger turnout. State police, along with local police, park police and the Department of Transportation, have been planning for the influx of visitors for more than a year.

About 150 additional state troopers will be brought in from neighboring areas for traffic and crowd control, O’Callahan said. Drones and boats will be deployed “to make sure that we protect the waterways as well, not just for the people themselves but for the possibility of a threat.”

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The total solar eclipse, viewable in western New York on April 8, will bring a host of challenges for area law enforcement. (iStock)

Any chaos during the event – along with four minutes of decreased visibility during the eclipse itself – could present an opportunity for criminals. But the majority of area businesses will close that day and western New York is well-prepared, O’Callahan said.

“With the amount of law enforcement that will be in and around the area, we don’t think that will be a problem,” he told Fox News Digital this week. “If you’re going to do something ridiculous, you’re going to get caught.”

Impacted cellphone service, traffic jams and decreased mobility for first responders in the event of an emergency are all potential dangers. The Niagara region on the Canadian side of the falls declared a state of emergency for April 8 in light of those concerns. 

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Tourists stand atop Prospect Point Observation Tower overlooking Niagara Falls on June 4, 2013, in Niagara Falls, New York. (John Moore/Getty Images)

Cellphone providers on the U.S. side of the falls will take measures to improve service, and while service may still be slow for large media downloads, calls and texts will hopefully continue successfully throughout the day. Additional EMTs and firefighters will also be available throughout the region, he said. 

A large part of preparing for the event involved analyzing previous eclipse events. That included places like Oregon in August 2017, where masses of traffic took more than 20 hours to clear in some places as tourists traveled to and from their watch spots.

O’Callahan said law enforcement aims to get people off the road during the two-hour event. In Kentucky during the 2017 eclipse, one person died when they were hit by a car while looking up at the sky in an improper place.

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A woman with special glasses watches an eclipse. Viewing the eclipse while driving could pose dangers on the road, O’Callahan said. (iStock)

Wearing special glasses to view the eclipse while driving could also pose dangers on the road, he said.

The region is well-equipped to handle surges of out-of-towners, with the entertainment district and famous waterfall in the city of Niagara Falls seeing 7 million to 9 million visitors each summer, a spokesperson for Mayor Robert Restaino told Fox News Digital. 

But because the event is condensed into a short time period, April 8 will pose unique challenges.

 

“It’s unique, given the fact that it’s all ages, not a one-age type thing,” O’Callahan said. “We’re pulling in so many people from so many places with so many different characteristics … it’s just one of those things that if you live close enough, it’s one of those things that you may only see once in your lifetime.”

“We’re actually advocating for people to not leave immediately once the totality has been completed, [but] to stick around, like when you tailgate at a football game. [This is to] let traffic go; sit around and enjoy the entertainment that will be there so it will be easier to get out,” the Niagara Falls mayor’s spokesperson said, mentioning that area vendors, musicians and nighttime fireworks would be available. 

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Totality will cast a dusk-like shadow on the cities of Buffalo, Rochester, Niagara Falls, Syracuse, Watertown and Massena. Before the eclipse moves into Vermont, New York’s Adirondacks region will be the last to see a total solar eclipse.

Christina Coulter is a U.S. and World reporter for Fox News Digital. Email story tips to christina.coulter@fox.com.