NYPD plans holiday counterterror measures for houses of worship
A pedestrian walks past an NYPD cruiser on patrol near Times Square. Credit: Bloomberg / Craig Warga
On a day when federal investigators announced the arrest of a man who allegedly wanted to carry out a terror attack in San Francisco for the holidays, the NYPD said a full complement of heavy weapons units will fan out around the five boroughs to provide security for Christmas church services at houses of worship.
While there is no known credible terrorist threat to the city, the NYPD will deploy teams from its Strategic Response Group and Critical Response Command to cover services from Midnight Mass on Sunday throughout Christmas Day itself, Chief of Patrol Terence Monahan said Friday.
“We will have a full counterterrorism overlay at St. Patrick’s [Cathedral],” said Monahan, talking about a key venue for midnight services.
Monahan’s remarks came hours before federal officials announced the arrest of a California man who was an ISIS sympathizer, reportedly inspired by the deadly Halloween truck attack in New York that took eight lives on a west-side bicycle path. The California suspect — identified as Everitt Aaron Jameson, a tow-truck driver — was charged with planning to carry out a Christmas attack at Pier 39, a popular San Francisco tourist attraction.
To beef up things around St. Patrick’s, police will use blocker vehicles, extra police personnel and plan to have truck restrictions on both Fifth Avenue and Madison Avenues, from about 42nd Street to 57th Street, Monahan said.
News of the arrest in California won’t change any NYPD security plans, particularly for New Year’s Eve, said department spokesman Stephen Davis.
“We are so geared up for New Year’s Eve, one event is not going to change us at all,” Davis said.
Monahan said that specific plans for the New Year’s Eve celebration will be announced next week. But those plans are expected to be impacted by the Dec. 11 bombing incident in a subway passageway near the Port Authority bus terminal in which Akayed Ullah, 27, is accused of injuring himself and three others with an improvised explosive device.
Ullah, who police said was motivated by ISIS sympathies to carry out the abortive bombing, faces federal terrorism charges.
One police official said it is likely the NYPD will deploy more vapor wake dogs, which are trained to detect explosives and bombs moving through crowds.
Anthony M. DeStefano has been a reporter for Newsday since 1986 and covers law enforcement, criminal justice and legal affairs from its New York City offices.
Out East with Doug Geed: Wine harvests, a fish market, baked treats and poinsettias NewsdayTV's Doug Geed visits two wineries and a fish market, and then it's time for holiday cheer, with a visit to a bakery and poinsettia greenhouses.
Out East with Doug Geed: Wine harvests, a fish market, baked treats and poinsettias NewsdayTV's Doug Geed visits two wineries and a fish market, and then it's time for holiday cheer, with a visit to a bakery and poinsettia greenhouses.
