Nassau, Suffolk police to intensify patrols after Paris terror attacks

The Nassau County Police Department will intensify patrols at shopping centers, houses of worship and other "soft targets" after Friday's terror attacks in Paris, county officials said Monday.

Residents should alert law enforcement if they see something out of place and never accept a package from a stranger, said County Executive Edward Mangano and acting Police Commissioner Thomas Krumpter at a news conference.

"You cannot assume that an unattended package is harmless," Mangano said.

Officials in Suffolk County also said there will be beefed-up patrols at shopping malls and other large venues.

Krumpter said the Nassau police department gets updates from the FBI's Joint Terrorism Task Force, including the NYPD and state and federal law enforcement agencies, and there are "no credible threats" in Nassau.

Nonetheless, the department will boost holiday patrols at shopping malls, large public venues and near churches, temples and mosques -- "soft targets" considered vulnerable to an attack.

"This is not about a single day. It's not about a single event," Krumpter said. "This is a paradigm shift, where we need to be more concerned about homegrown terrorists."

Krumpter said he is concerned that terrorist groups such as the Islamic State, which claimed responsibility for the Paris attacks, are using social media to recruit potential terrorists. "We do monitor a number of people in Nassau," said Krumpter, adding the department has a good relationship with local mosques.

The Suffolk County Police Department also has directed its officers to "maintain a high visibility presence" at locations that draw large crowds, Commissioner Edward Webber said.

Webber said the department receives intelligence from sources including the FBI, MTA Police, State Police and the NYPD.

"Protecting Suffolk County and our nation is everyone's responsibility," he said. "If you see something, say something."

Mangano also said New York should not allow Syrian refugees fleeing civil war and ISIS violence to enter the state.

Reports Sunday said a bomber in Paris carried a Syrian passport used to enter Europe in October through Greece.

"We should close our borders at this point and redirect those resources to vet those that have already entered the country," Mangano said.

President Barack Obama said the United States will accept 10,000 Syrian refugees in 2016. To date, 15 Republican governors have taken steps to block Syrian refugees from entering their states.

A spokesman for Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo, a Democrat, did not respond to a request for comment.

By Robert Brodsky

robert.brodsky@newsday.com@BrodskyRobert

Robert Brodsky is a breaking news reporter who has worked at Newsday since 2011. He is a Queens College and American University alum.