New Year's Eve Militarized Security In NYC

The following report is based on information obtained by the 14,000-member National Association of Chiefs of Police:

As New Yorkers and tourists prepare for tonight’s New Year’s Eve celebrations — especially in Manhattan’s Times Square area — law enforcement will be assisted by the citizen soldiers and airmen of the New York National Guard, according to security officials.

Under orders from New York Governor David Paterson, members of the New York Army and Air National Guard will conduct additional security missions and stand ready to respond to city authorities if a man-made or natural emergency occurs.

Within New York City, National Guard soldiers and airmen will conduct increased security operations at Pennsylvania Station on West 34th Street, the Port Authority Trans-Hudson terminal near Times Square, and at LaGuardia and Kennedy airports in coordination with the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey Police.

The National Guard’s 2nd Civil Support Team, a full-time, rapid-response element that detects chemical, biological or radiological hazards, also will provide a detachment in Manhattan to support the New York Police Department. The 22-man detachment, based at the Scotia Air National Guard Base near Schenectady, NY, has worked with New York City police for counterterrorism support operations since the unit’s formation in 2000, according to police officials.

At the New York National Guard headquarters in Latham, N.Y., staff representatives from New York state’s military forces will operate the National Guard’s joint operations center. This command and control installation provides links to the New York State Emergency Management Office and New York State Office of Homeland Security.

The New York National Guard also will provide liaison officers to New York’s emergency management office and the New York City Police Department.

_________________________________
Jim Kouri, CPP is currently fifth vice-president of the National Association of Chiefs of Police and he’s a staff writer for the New Media Alliance (thenma.org). In addition, he’s the editor for the House Conservatives Fund’s weblog. He’s former chief at a New York City housing project in Washington Heights nicknamed “Crack City” by reporters covering the drug war in the 1980s. In addition, he served as director of public safety at a New Jersey university and director of security for several major organizations. He’s also served on the National Drug Task Force and trained police and security officers throughout the country.