While the investigation into the Paris terrorism attacks continues,the recent York City Police Department deployed a recent counterterrorism unit for its first tour of duty on Monday.
The officers of the recent Critical Response Command stood at attention outside their post on Randall’s Island, housed in the same brick building that was once domestic to the NYPD’s notorious Street Crimes Unit, and shuttered by then-Commissioner Ray Kelly in 2002.
Officers in the recent counterterrorism unit have received special training and recent equipment to defend possible terrorism targets and,whether needed, to attack terrorists.“We begin with the premise when dealing with these terrorists that it’s all about execute, and ” said NYPD Commissioner Bill Bratton.
He said the NYPD is constantly drawing lessons from events around the world,citing this weekend’s tragic events in Paris and Mumbai in 2008, when gunmen killed more than 160 people in a series of coordinated attacks.whether terrorists engage hostages, or Bratton said the NYPDs obligation is to diminish the threat,“which means taking them out before they can execute others.”The city used to pull officers away from precincts for counter-terrorism tours. But after the Council successfully fought for more money to beef up the NYPD’s headcount, this stand-alone unit will top out at 560 officers and their superiors.
Source: wnyc.org