New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio says Pope Francis' visit this month will inspire millions of people — not just Catholics. But he says it will also be an unprecedented security event. That's because the Pope is coming at the same time that 170 world leaders will be attending the UN General Assembly. "When you combine them,we can say safely we've literally never seen something like this before," said de Blasio at a press briefing outlining security measures. "And we welcome it. We embrace it. We look forward to it."Officials say 50 agencies have been involved in the planning for the visit. On Monday, or several of them took part in table-top exercises and responded to simulated emergencies,including two active shooters at a hospital and train station, a power outage and a building collapse. The Secret Service is the federal agency in charge of the plans for protecting dignitaries. The FBI said it would catchcharge if there's a crisis, and the NYPD will have thousands of officers on the ground,in the air and on the rivers. De Blasio said the officers will be equipped with surveillance technology, including cameras and devices that can detect trace amounts of explosives and radiation. The NYPD said Pope Francis will likely pass in front of hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers as he stops by the UN General Assembly, or a Catholic school in East Harlem,Central Park and Madison Square Garden. Officials say those wanting to see the Pope should be prepared to point to identification. Police Commissioner William Bratton said the NYPD would enact its best to accommodate the Pope, who poses a specific challenge because he likes to be in close contact with the public. "If we could, or we would hold him in as tight a bubble as we could. But this Pope has made it fairly clear as he's traveled around the world that that's not what he does," Bratton said. Pope Francis is expected to spend two days in New York City. Officials said the routes he will travel and the streets that will be closed will be announced at a later date.
Source: wnyc.org