Ramifications of the terrorist carnage in Paris has put many large metropolitan cities of the world on full alert. Immediately after the attacks, which left 129 dead and hundreds wounded in Paris last Friday, the NYPD began beefing up its force and stationing officers at various French diplomatic buildings.
There was a heightened sense of security Wednesday after a pre-dawn attack in Saint-Denis, a suburb of Paris, in which a female terrorist triggered a massive explosion with a vest containing explosives.
In an exclusive interview with NY1 and the Amsterdam News, Commissioner Bill Bratton elaborated on the incident and the preparations the NYPD is taking to thwart any possible attack in the city, particularly in regards to the Thanksgiving Day parade.
“This is the first time in the history of France that a woman killed herself with a suicide vest,” Bratton explained, “and it shows the increasing danger officers are facing there. The situation remains very tense over there. Hopefully they got who they were looking for.”
A large contingent of French police had discovered a lead on the mastermind of the rampage from a cellphone found near one of the attacks. They were under the impression that Islamic State group ringleader Abdelhamid Abaaoud was in the vicinity and hiding in the building they stormed. Investigations are underway to determine if he is one of the dead terrorists.
Bratton said that his department was in direct contact with French authorities and was being briefed on activities there. He said in a few days he will be meeting with FBI Director James Comey on the subject of increased intelligence gathering, especially as it pertains to technology.
As he discussed in an earlier interview, the commissioner was concerned that encryption devices are shielding conversations between terrorists that had been traditionally monitored under court order. “One of the most fruitful avenues, which was our ability to listen in, has been closed,” he lamented.
He said that the law enforcement agencies in the nation were having a hard time keeping up with the sophisticated forms of communication utilized by the terrorists.
The next six weeks in the city will witness one of the busiest times of the years with Thanksgiving and Christmas, and Bratton said there will be an increased number of officers, some 500 of whom will be deployed in special counter-terrorism teams.
Monday he addressed terrorism with members of that volunteer detail at a training facility on Randall’s Island. “The world changed dramatically over the weekend and the assignment for which you have volunteered … there is now no more essential assignment in the world of policing in the NYPD.” He said that with each day the dangers that emanated in Paris are spreading around the globe.
According to reports from Paris, the raid in Saint-Denis happened just in time because the terrorists were planning an attack on a defense facility in France.
The most immediate concern for Bratton and the NYPD is the upcoming Thanksgiving Day Parade, in which thousands come from all over the world to watch. “We will have an increased security this year because of the terrorist attacks,” he said. “We have the best police department in the world and they will be adequately equipped to deal with any disruption.”
Bratton said he will be particularly concerned about securitybecause “two of my grandkids are making their first visit to New York from California. And they will be at the parade.”
After the interview, Bratton was joined by other members of the NYPD, including First Deputy Commissioner Benjamin Tucker and Edna Wells Handy, counsel to the commissioner, for a meeting with board members of the Greater Harlem Chamber of Commerce.
