six hours and counting until the end of the year and the beginning of a new one. times square hosted the biggest party in the a place for celebration and a target for those who would try to hurt us. and security is more intense than ever. the nypd trying to balance keeping new yorkers safe with allowing them to party. we have amy freeze tracking the weather. and darla miles line up to be a part of that. and we begin with john onager. >> there's six hours to go before the biggest party. they are about to raise the ball to the very top of that flag pole where it will sit for the next several hours.

the focus the world, there's an extraordinary level of security to keep everyone safe. it's the largest nypd deployment ever for new year's eve. with six hours to go. so far, so good. in the wake of terror attacks in paris and san bernardino, he ordered a dramatic increase in the footprint in times square with 600 to 800 additional officers. >> really nothing new, just more of it. secondary screenings to get in a pen. you go there two screenings, and a lot more officers in the pens in plainclothes. >> a million partiers are crammed into 65 peps, and some have been here since 7 a.m. running a gauntlet of security

>> my son is in boot camp as a marine. and he warned me like maybe we shouldn't go. i feel comfortable with all the police here. i feel pretty safe. newyork has done a great job. >> reporter: and back live, there it is. the ball rising up to position over the top of one times square where it will watch down on the million people here waiting for it to drop to signify the new year, 2016. the police commissioner says there are no specific or credible threats that they are aware of. they are keeping as close an eye as they can. josh einiger, eyewitness news. now to the people who voluntarily decide to stand for hours packed like sardines, nowhere to move, nowhere to go.

doing that tonight, they call it having fun. darla miles is at new york city's busiest quadrant. >> reporter: i have to show you something. fireworks are going off already. that doesn't seem to be a part of the plan. and you have a lot of people cheering for fireworks. what you can expect is people having a lot of patience and a lot of fun. [ cheering ] >> happy new year! >> reporter: what's so fun about this? >> the people are so friendly. >> reporter: some revelers will ring in the new year with -- >> how many best friends have you made since you've been here? >> i met probably 10, 15, i met him. he talked to me about demi lovato and stuff. >> have you scoped out anybody to kiss around midnight? >> no. [ laughter ] >> not really. >> getting a new year's kiss

but those who lined up first and have been waiting outside the longest. >> what's the bathroom strategy? >> we're not going at all. >> i haven't been drinking anything for the last day. >> what's the bathroom strategy? >> there is no bathroom strategy. there's no bathroom strategies. >> it's just one of those things you got to do it and say you did it and yeah! >> this is the right way to ring in 2016. at the biggest party on the planet. >> there's a lot of terrible things that happened this year. and this makes us feel like family again and it's really important. >> reporter: a live look at the ball with the possibility of the fireworks being that they raised the ball. the possibility that was like a pre-fireworks display, a sign of the party that's going to

million people expected to be out tonight. and no mention of the bathroom. reporting live in times square, channel 7 eyewitness news. several street closures already in effect. if you live there and don't want to be involved in the celebration, i'm so sorry. it's small for now. but in less than 30 minutes the blockade expands to cross streets from 34th to 41st. and 49th to 59th. we have a list on our website. if you're going outside, one thing you'll not have to contend with is the weather. snow, rain, ice, heavy winds, none of that. meteorologist amy freeze is in for lee goldberg. >> and crunching the numbers, december will go down in the books as one of the warmest

13 to 14 degrees above the average. we could see some real january like weather showing up. getting back to reality. right now low to mid-40s on the map. the clouds are starting to part a bit. and as the ball drops, maybe a few patchy clouds will remain over times square as the temperatures go to 41 degrees. and as far as new year's eve goes, that's a real mild number. the coldest ever reported in times square, back in the 1917- degree range was seven below zero. i think we can take 41. i'll have the full forecast in a few minutes. >> don't forget new year's rockin' eve goaled by eyewitness news at 11. and we'll take you to times square and then at 11:30, back to ryan seacrest who counts down to midnight and the new

app. right now police in munich are asking germans to stay away from the main strain because of the a serious imminent threat of a terror attack. on facebook there's information tonight. the train station has been evacuated and trains will no longer stop there. the warning coming before they year. and? up state new york, an attack has been thwarted. prosecutors say he planned under the isis banner to carry out an attack at a restaurant using knives and a machete. bar owners have been told on the on alert. and the city of rochester has canceled the fireworks display.

the middle eastern city of dubai. fire before midnight. flames climbing from the 20th floor. a heart attack and minor injuries were reported. the world's tallest building is nearby. and in a surreal development, a new york fireworks display near the fire happened on schedule. tonight the painful goodbye toe a new yorker killed in a suicide bombing in afghanistan. the body of air national guard staff sergeant louis -- taken 25 miles north to a funeral home in miller place. all this for a two day wait. long island reporter kristen thorn is at the wake tonight. >> reporter: just a show of support for sergeant bonacasa. there was a line outside the

building for several hours to honor this comrade to so many. those who knew him say he was a aware of and accepted the risks of fighting for our country because he believed in it more than anything else. [ music ] >> reporter: his 5-year-old may not yet understand war but she has learned far too early about death. her mother, his wife who he met at boot camp was there with her to watch as the military honored him at the air national guard base in west hamton beach. >> our pain and pride merge with inexpressible gratitude for him as our hero. >> a suicide bomber killed the 31-year-old and five other servicemen during an attack in afghanistan last week.

a great provider and a beautiful family and it's a great loss for everyone. >> hundreds of people filed into a funeral home in miller place for his wake, trying to understand why someone so wonderful was taken away. >> i've known him since he was a little boy. it's sad for all of us today. >> he didn't think twice about what he had to do. as you can see by the outpouring of love. >> governor cuomo came to pay respects. >> he was a hero and i hope the family takes comfort in that. >> reporter: there will be another viewing for bonacasa at the funeral home tomorrow. saturday. eyewitness news. as we continue with year's eve. robbers posing as police

new details about a most disturbing crime. a minivan approached by four men in badges and told to get out of the car. before they know it their vehicle is gone. >> reporter: it happened in broad daylight. a brazen robbery by four men who passed themselves off as police officers. watch as they exit the sedan and head to the minivan in front of them. they identified themselves as

and two passengers to get out of the minivan. one fake cop takes off in the van and the others leave in the car. at the same spot, this minivan driver couldn't believe it. >> they ain't nobody who wants these things. who wants to steal a minivan. >> the suspects wore shields and protective vests. >> you think you're getting pulled over. and your vehicle is gone afterwards. that's kind of spooky. >> do you think you would have done anything differently. if someone flashes a badge. >> if they look legit i probably would have got out the vehicle and cooperated. kind of scary. if chrysler minivan has not been recovered and the four suspects were hispanic men between 20 and 35 years of age.

police hope this surveillance video helps. >> i'm never surprised. it's part of being in new york. >> meanwhile, the victims, three men between the ages of 26 and 47 not injured but duped out of their minivan at the end of the year. straight ahead on eyewitness news at snow on christmas.

new year's team starts practice today. coach called to see how i was doing. i blew out my knee last year. just as college football programs began calling me. i didn't realize i'd get hooked on the pain pills the doctor gave me. i never thought my life could change so fast. for now at least, football and college are going to have to wait.

from the comfort of your home watching television, we

paris ringing in the new year 15 minutes ago. but this year without fireworks to remember those murdered if the terrorist attacks. >> and a shape of butterflies and flowers, to usher in 2016. and a digital clock leading the countdown in hong kong. people cheering there. and in moscow, green and red as the clock hit midnight signaling the start of the new year. and we know what's going to happen in times square in five hours and 41 minutes. the ball will drop. >> i just love watching new year's rockin' eve. >> and we are sandwiched right between it. what have we got? >> a lot of people think you'll be freezing. but this go around the temperatures will be pretty

temperatures around 40 degrees at midnight. beautiful, looking down to lower manhattan you can see the empire state building. and like a candle one world trade. winds have been breezy at times. coming out of the west at five to 15 miles per hour. and that bit of a breeze could make your feel colder. 48 for the high. and well above average for this time of year. but we'll close by the way looking at the history books, the coldest in 1917, seven below zero and the most mild in 1965, 63 degrees. zeroing in over times square and the clouds are really starting to thin and we'll continue to see improvements through the evening. so just a few patchy clouds remain in place as we turn the chapter and turn the page on

looking at temperatures outside of the city. colder temperatures in monticello. and the wind chill factor only takes a few degrees off the numbers. it's not enough wind to make it uncomfortable. but you need a coat. it will be cooler than the actual thermometer readings by a 41degrees is the number we're shooting for with a few clouds left behind. and we're storm free for the next several days. tomorrow will be fantastic. january1st, sunshine and temperatures in the mid-40s. both saturday and sunday follow with beautiful sky conditions. the weekend. and our temperatures are just a little bit colder, low 40s. watch what happens. tomorrow the temperatures are very good during the afternoon. and then late at night we see

saturday morning is a chilly start. and we could push to near 40 degrees by saturday afternoon. we break down the numbers, 37 through the early morning hours. and 45 the high temperature tomorrow. and the 7-day forecast showing the cold coming in on monday. that will be a freezing start. below normal temperatures and overnight lows in the mid-20s. wednesday and thursday temperatures are back to the mid-40s. so we don't see any 60s showing up the first week of january. but only two days of real cold and then back to moderate temperatures. i'm definitely going to jesus it up. >> -- to jazz it up. >> and you can [ overlapping speakers ] >> the nfl regular season wraps up on sunday and all the talk is on the status of tom coughlin. many are wondering if the head

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when the clock strikes midnight will this be the last tax year for tom coughlin and the giants? technical. the day after the regular season finale known as black monday as coaches and general managers often learn their fates. all eyes will be on the giants. tom coughlin's future is an uncertainty with new york missing the playoffs for the 4th season in a row. does coughlin even want to return next year? >> do i want to comeback? what i want to do is win a game on sunday.

group right now. i always have the competitive spirit. sometimes it takes me a day or two to figure it all out when it's over. let's go win a football game. >> one day at a time. and the jets still have everything to play for when they wrap up. a win over the bills or a steal steelers loss. >> they can't afford to get too far ahead of themselves. >> you got to be composed at all times. there's so much of the mental side of the game that you have to think through and you can't be going a million miles an hour. >> we understand what's at stake. and i've always thrived in pressure. the college football playoff semifinals have arrived.

alabama with michigan state. and right now it's the top ranked -- clemson faces oklahoma in the orange bowl in miami. it's a close game now. oklahoma the one point lead. we'll have the full highlights at 11:00. and earlier this afternoon, houston and florida state meeting in the peach bowl. sean mcguire for the 14-yard score. and he runs 29 yards down to the 2-yard line to set up the insurance touchdown which ryan jackson would then punch in. 38-24 houston pulling off the win. >> and the knicks reserve player remained hospitalized after an armed robbery left him with a bullet wound in the knee. after thanking everyone, he talked to instagram to let the fans know he's okay.

he called the incident a learning experience and a minor setback that will lead to a major comeback. and saint john's and creighton. and the big put-back dunk in the first. and james mill began, the transition. and the blue jays up by. >> can you imagine? >> that's the way to end 2015. >> not for the johnnies. >> time to look at the stories we're working on for 11:00. something to do with december 31st. >> you think? >> yes, we are counting down to the biggest celebration of the year. security is on high alert. and teams of new york police officers on patrol right now to keep revelers safe. we go behind the scenes of a major operation and join us for eyewitness news at 11:00 before

>> we'll be there to be sure.