Following Manchester bombing, NYPD ramps up security

Heavy weapons teams, detection dogs and other measures

May 23, 2017 By Mary Frost Brooklyn Daily Eagle

A New York Police Department anti-terror unit guard an entry area to Madison Square Garden, Tuesday in New York City. The NYPD says it has tightened security at high-profile locations "out of an abundance of caution" following the deadly explosion in Manchester, England. AP Photo/Bebeto Matthews

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Following the horrific attack at the Ariana Grande concert in Manchester that killed 22 people and injured scores more, the NYPD has taken a number of measures to ramp up security in New York City.

Residents will be seeing unusually heavy weaponry and personnel deployed in key areas of the city, according to NYPD’s Assistant Commissioner for DCPI, J. Peter Donald.

“Out of an abundance of caution, we have moved additional heavy weapons teams to high profile locations around the city,” Donald said in a statement late Monday. “In addition to our heavy weapons teams, New Yorkers will also see vapor wake explosive detection dogs, highly trained counterterrorism officers and random bag checks at transit locations, among other things.”

Donald said that the NYPD Intelligence Bureau is in regular contact with its partners overseas, and the Joint Terrorism Task Force “is prepared should any leads need to be investigated locally.”

Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams, a former police officer, said he was confident that the city would ensure safety and security at entertainment sites in particular.

“This moment of grieving reminds us of the threats to ‘soft targets’ like concert venues, and the need for all of our local establishments — big and small alike — to factor this potential into their business plans,” he said in a statement Tuesday.

Adams continued, “Leadership at all levels of government should be focused on increasing the capacity of initiatives such as NYPD Shield that increase counterterrorism preparedness. Brooklynites and New Yorkers do not surrender to fear, just as they do not underestimate the importance of safeguarding themselves against those pursuing acts of violence.”

The Department of Homeland Security also focused on entertainment sites, saying there was “no information to indicate a specific credible threat involving music venues in the United States” at this time. “However, the public may experience increased security in and around public places and events as officials take additional precautions.”

Gov. Andrew Cuomo said he has directed state law enforcement officials to step up security and patrols at high-profile locations across New York, including at airports, bridges, tunnels and mass transit systems.

Support for the victims poured in from Brooklyn’s elected official overnight.

“As always, the American people stand with our allies and friends in the United Kingdom in this fight against evil and will continue to work with our allies to finally dismantle those extremists groups who would wish to do our people harm,” said U.S. Rep. Carolyn Maloney (Greenpoint, Manhattan).

“We condemn this atrocity and support the efforts being made to bring those responsible to justice, which has already led to the arrest of one suspect,” said U.S. Rep. Dan Donovan, the city’s only Republican representative. Donovan serves on the House Committee on Homeland Security and the House Committee on Foreign Affairs.

British authorities identified Salman Abedi, 22, as the suicide bomber in the attack, according to reports published Tuesday. ISIS claimed credit for the attack, but that has not been confirmed by authorities.