CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: 2004 is six hours old here on the East Coast, still in diapers, you could say. One of the biggest New Year's celebrations each year is, of course, in Times Square. Our Sean Callebs was there when the ball dropped.</s>SEAN CALLEBS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Is there a more memorable location to usher in the new year than the heart of Times Square? Fireworks competing with blazing neon, with hundreds of thousands of people awash in confetti. This year will also be remembered for safety concerns. Mayor Bloomberg giving high praise to officers and organizers who made this a safe, yet spectacular celebration.</s>MAYOR MICHAEL BLOOMBERG, NEW YORK: Everybody knows what they're doing. New York City knows how to handle big crowds. This is what we do for a living.</s>CALLEBS: The mayor and former Iraqi POW Shoshana Johnson sharing the honor of lowering the 1,000-pound Waterford crystal ball ringing in 2004. Months ago, Johnson was captive, coping with an uncertain future. Tonight, she is on top of the world.</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE: She also represents, because she's a POW who got through it, resilience, which is really a theme for New York.</s>CALLEBS: There were thousands of officers, metal detectors, even snipers on rooftops. But in the end, it's the celebration that people here will cherish. (on camera): Somewhere between half a million and 750,000 people squeezing into Times Square, braving cold temperatures and also dealing with safety concerns to usher in the new year. Mayor Bloomberg saying if the city was going to make a mistake, they were going to err on the side of caution and make sure they had a festive but safe environment. Sean Callebs, CNN, in New York.
New Year in Times Square