NYPD on heightened alert around city bridges, tunnels due to unspecific threats, Tisch says

NYPD officers will be on heightened security alert around city infrastructure such as bridges and tunnels based on what Commissioner Jessica Tisch said Tuesday were unspecified threats.

Tisch said threats to the city generally peak around the time of upcoming United Nations General Assembly meeting, the anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2011, terror attacks and the Jewish High Holy Days but that the city had to take all of them seriously.

"Out of an abundance of caution, we are surging resources and you can expect to see increased police presence at critical infrastructure locations," Tisch said.

Disclosure of the threats was made at the end of a news conference at police headquarters about the search for a suspect in the murder of two elderly people at a home in Queens during which their home was set on fire by the suspect, who remained at large late Tuesday.

During a brief question period after the news conference Tisch declined to give more details about the specific nature of the threats. Standing with her at the podium but not commenting was Rebecca Weiner, the department's deputy commissioner for counterterrorism.

A spokesman for the FBI in New York didn’t immediately return a request for comment late Tuesday.

By Anthony M. DeStefano

tony.destefano@newsday.comtonynewsday

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.