NYPD Watching for Drones Flying Over the UN General Assembly
The annual UN General Assembly is always one of the toughest times for the police department in the host city. They have the job to protect some of the world’s most powerful people. This year’s General Assembly will be held in New York, and the NYPD has not found the job any easier. In addition to their usual concerns, this year they are on the lookout for a new threat, drones.
After the recent attempted assassination of the President of Venezuela with two drones packed with explosives, security agencies are finally starting to take the threat of drones seriously. The Secret Service, an army of NYPD cops and other law enforcement agencies tasked with protecting the Manhattan summit are on high alert for drone attacks.
Even though the incident in Venezuela has not been tied to any terrorist group, law enforcement are still using this example to be wary of any similar situations. They will be watching the skies closely to spot any drones that may come too close. However, the authorities are still yet to divulge how exactly they plan to defend themselves from potential drone attacks.
There will be over 180 motorcades at the UN conference this year. Each of these processions will also be accompanied by anywhere from three to nine NYPD cops, depending on the threat level against that particular head of state. In a processions classified as high threat level, the police may be armed with heavy weapons. For example, the procession for the Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, which has more than a dozen vehicles will be surely well guarded.
Undoubtedly, the highest security detail will be appointed to President Trump. With a massive motorcade, including at least 21 NYPD motorcyclists to protect the presidential limo. His security entourage will also include an emergency ambulance as well as a black van with the capabilities of temporarily knocking out cellphone service in the area in the event of a threat.
The NYPD does not anticipate a situation like what happened with the Venezuelan president. However, they are not about to take any risks.
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