STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — NYPD executives held a security briefing Wednesday morning to address safety precautions being implemented in preparation for Sunday’s annual NYC Marathon.
Despite the NYPD assuring there are no credible threats against the city, Police Commissioner Edward Caban acknowledged the security concerns amid rising tensions.
“Safeguarding the New York City Marathon is nothing new for the NYPD,” Caban said. “But as tensions rise around the globe, there is growing concern over the impact it’ll have here at home. So let me be clear — there are currently no credible or specific threats to the marathon, or to our city. But having said that, we are still implementing a comprehensive security plan. The actual marathon course will have many layers of protection.”
NYPD Deputy Commissioner of Intelligence and Counterterrorism Rebecca Weiner fleshed out the security measures in place; among them a large officer presence, plainclothes personnel, a network of constantly monitored cameras, and a “robust counterterrorism overlay.”
This expansive security overwatch includes heavy-weapons teams from the Counterterrorism Division, special vapor weight detection K-9s, radiation detection patrols, and the deployment of chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, and explosive detection and mitigation capabilities
Additionally, all runners and their belongings will be screened prior to their participation in Sunday’s event. To ensure the denial of unauthorized entry, hundreds of sand trucks and blocker vehicles will be positioned at various points. Mobile response units will also be on the scene, ready to respond to any incidents or tips.
“We are still, as we know, existing and operating in a heightened threat environment,” Weiner said. “Whenever we’ve got large, high-profile gatherings like this, especially one that takes place over so much geography and time, there’s nothing more important to our agency than ensuring the safety of everybody…
Read the full article here
Leave a Reply