WTC security and emergency response newspaper article

NYC 9/11 Public Portal Document

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loel A, Miele Sr., P.E., Commissioner Charles G, Sturcken, Esq., Chief of Staff/Spedal Counsel

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City’s new security shield full of holes, experts say ByROBERT INGRASSIA □Aiur NEWS STAFF WRITER The experts urged dty leaders to supplement the stopgap . _ 'TTT , - . , At Gr^d Central Terminal, Vanderbilt Ave. has been closed to the Trade Center disaster comprehensive de­ There are cops on sub­ fense strategy. shouldn't be seen as long-term way platforms, check­ to vehicles, apparently to keep protection, experts said. More needed, he says potential truck bombs away. Former Police Commissioner points at the Lincoln Tun­ Truck access near Penn Station nel, new airport restric­ “What we’ve seen so far is a Bill Bratton, a consultant to the Band-Aid approach,” said Har­ also has been limited. security firm Kroll Associates, tions and Coast Guard vey Kushner, a Long Island Uni-' In the harbor. Coast Guard favors a defense that emphasiz­ cutters in New York Har­ versity criminal justice profes­ tugs are accompanying every es intelligence gathering to un­ ship to port, and officials are bor. sor and an anti-terrorism au­ boarding vessels to check docu­ cover tenorism plots before thor. “If we're going to put an they happen. But the security net hastily end to these attacks, we’re ments. “Timely and accurate intelli­ thrown up around Manhattan going to need a unified, concert­ LaGuardia and JFK airports, gence — that’s your first line of after the World Trade Center at­ ed effort cutting across all agen­ like others around the nation, defense," Bratton said. “You’ve tack has a lot of holes, anti-ter­ cies." have halted curbside check-in rorism experts say. of bags and required airlines to Trucks are being searched en­ The security efforts so far, al­ issue boarding passes at “If we’re going to put an end though haphazard, have been counters, not at gates. Fed­ tering the city through the Lin­ highly visible. eral marshals are keeping to these attacks, we’re going to coln Tunnel, but not coming in from the Bronx, Brooklyn or The Port Authority has been a watdi on the termini. need a untied, concerted ^ort Queens. ■ searching trucks, vans and sus­ Law enforcement agen­ picious vehicles entering the cies won’t discuss their se­ cutting across aU agencies.” Air travelers can’t check bags city through the Lincoln Tun­ curity measures in detail. at the curb or obtain a boarding nel. Officials wont say whether But officials admit that the Harvey Kushner pass at the gate anymore, but they’re trying to protect the beefed-up presence serves they still don’t have to show tubes or Manhattan itself. the dual purpose of com­ identification to board the got to know who your enemies Thousands of police officers bating further attacks and are and where they are." plEuie. calmhig nerves of jittery New And strategies to defend have been stationed in subway Still, not every plot can be de- stations throughout the dty. In Yorkers. ' tected, which means that poten­ against a possible new frontier “We’re there to make them of terrorism — biological and some spots, they board and tial terrorism targets must take chemical attacks —\are barely look around each stopped train. feel secure and deter miscre­ defensive measures against a off the ground. On NY Waterway ferries, fed- ants who might have any variety of threats. Security experts said the ! eral agents sweep tire boats ideas," a police source said of Blunting one of the most com­ emergency safety measures after passengers disembark, the increased subway security. mon terrorist tools, the car or that sprung up last week leave searching garbage cans and “We’re out there to show the truck bomb, is fairly easy, ex­ the city vulnerable to attack. bathrooms for explosive devic­ flag.” perts said. Prized attack targets es. The initial security response 1 i^www.ci.nyc.ny.us/dsp^

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