ATLANTA – Atlanta police anticipate tens of thousands of people to come out to watch the iconic Peach Drop at Underground Atlanta this New Year’s Eve. 

Final preparations are well underway for the event, which will feature rapper Big Boi as the headliner.

At the stroke of midnight, the Peach will drop, marking the start of 2025.

Atlanta police said they will work 12-hour shifts and have canceled off days to ensure the safety of everyone who comes out.

“We have 1,700 officers. Almost every one of them will be working over that 24-hour period,” Chief Darin Schierbaum said at a news conference Monday morning.

Atlanta’s Peach Drop returns

Last year, the city canceled the celebration, which also went on hiatus during the pandemic.

Preparations are underway for the Peach Drop at Underground Atlanta in Downtown Atlanta on Dec. 30, 2024. (FOX 5)

Chief Schierbaum urged citizens to celebrate responsibly.

“Citizens can choose safe celebration or consequence,” he said. “And we ask them to choose the first one.”

He said APD will be supported by other law enforcement agencies, with officers stationed on the ground and monitoring from above via helicopters and drones.

Preparations are underway for the Peach Drop at Underground Atlanta in Downtown Atlanta on Dec. 30, 2024. (FOX 5)

He promised to crack down on three things: celebratory gunfire, drunk drivers, and street racers. 

“If you’re going to come to Atlanta to street race, you’re going to meet the Atlanta Police Department and the Georgia State Patrol,” Schierbaum said. “We will have specialized teams deployed throughout the city.”

New Year’s Eve safety

Officials also issued reminders about the dangers of celebratory gunfire and reckless fireworks use.

“That has deadly consequences,” Schierbaum said. “We’ve seen that here in the region, and we ask everyone that is going to be in the city to please not discharge your weapons. If we see you discharging a weapon, we will arrest you.”

The city’s E911 Center expects a busy night too.

Last New Year’s Eve, the city said was slammed with more than 1,700 emergency calls between 9 p.m. and 3 a.m. “For non-emergency situations, I encourage you to call 311 and use option two,” said Desiree Arnold, Atlanta’s E911 Director. “This line is specifically designed for non-emergency issues such as noise complaints and fireworks.”

Arnold said operators will also be working 12-hour shifts to handle the influx.

Peach Bowl and Peach Drop transportation

Meanwhile, both for the Peach Drop and the Peach Bowl the following day, city officials warn traffic will be a nightmare. 

Preparations are underway for the Peach Drop at Underground Atlanta in Downtown Atlanta on Dec. 30, 2024. (FOX 5)

They recommend using MARTA.

“We want to make sure that MARTA is your first choice,” Caviness said. “We’re here to make sure you skip the parking nightmare in the city.”

Chief Schierbaum echoed this advice, “That is a way to ensure a safe celebration instead of a consequence of DUI arrest.”

Street closures for the Peach Drop will begin at 6 a.m. on New Year’s Eve. Officials strongly encourage visitors to plan ahead and avoid driving downtown.

QUOTING RAHEEM MORRIS

QUOTING THE FALCONS

QUOTING THE OPPONENT

LANDOVER, Md. — The Atlanta Falcons entered Sunday with a chance to clinch their first playoff berth since 2017. They left Northwest Stadium in Landover, Md., with heartbreak.

Atlanta (8-8) fell 30-24 in overtime to the Washington Commanders (11-5) on Sunday Night Football, with Commanders rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels hitting tight end Zach Ertz over the middle for a touchdown.

The Falcons led 17-7 at halftime, seemingly in control of the game, and quickly put the Commanders in a third-and-22 on the first drive of the second half. Then, Falcons outside linebacker DeAngelo Malone committed an illegal contact penalty, giving Washington new life and turning the game on its head.

Led by star rookie quarterback Daniels, the Commanders’ offense methodically wore down the Falcons’ defense. Atlanta’s offense counterpunched with a game-tying touchdown inside of 100 seconds to play, and after a three-and-out, the Falcons gave kicker Riley Patterson a chance to win it from 56 yards out.

But Patterson’s kick, which was straight on, fell short.

In overtime, the Commanders received the kickoff and marched down in the field, taking over seven minutes off the clock. Daniels threw the dagger to Ertz on third-and-2 with 2:45 remaining.

The Commanders secured their playoff ticket. The Falcons enter next weekend needing a win and Tampa Bay Buccaneers loss to the New Orleans Saints.

And Atlanta’s left picking up the pieces from a slow-bleeding death in perhaps its biggest game in seven years.

Here are three takeaways …

In the third quarter alone, Washington ran 25 plays, possessed the ball for 12:53 and gained 145 net yards. Comparably, Atlanta had just three plays over 2:07 and lost one yard.

As the Commanders’ offense grew more confident and the Falcons’ defense became more tired, Washington turned its 10-point halftime deficit into a 24-17 lead midway through the fourth quarter.

Atlanta had a chance at the end of regulation but, no pun intended, fell short.

Falcons rookie quarterback Michael Penix Jr. struggled to ride the wave of momentum created by a strong first start in the team’s 34-7 victory over the New York Giants last week — until he needed it most.

Penix went 19-for-35 passing for 223 yards, one touchdown and one interception. He hit a few big throws to receiver Drake London, headlined by a 31-yard catch-and-run on fourth-and-11 on the team’s final drive, but also missed a handful of passes.

He hit tight end Kyle Pitts for a 13-yard touchdown pass on fourth-and-goal late in regulation, the first touchdown pass of Penix’s NFL career.

Falcons linebackers JD Bertrand and Kaden Elliss each made personal history in the first half. Bertrand, a fifth-round rookie, notched his first NFL sack, while Elliss, a sixth-year pro, recorded his first NFL interception.

Receiver Drake London broke the 1,000-yard mark for the first time in his professional career with a 14-yard catch from Penix midway through the second quarter

The Falcons (8-8) host the Carolina Panthers (4-12) at 1 p.m. Sunday inside Mercedes-Benz Stadium.