What has New York City done to fight terrorism?
The New York Police Department has reassigned about 1,000 officers to anti-terrorism duties, including more than 300 in a new counterterror bureau. Detectives are posted overseas in cities such as Tel Aviv, London and Lyons, France, to gather intelligence. Heavily armed units known as Hercules teams make surprise visits to likely targets, like Times Square, to disrupt terrorist reconnaissance. Counterterror teams assess the vulnerabilities of prominent buildings, and recommend changes in security. Detectives in the counterterror operations center monitor overseas broadcasts, tap into local, regional and federal law-enforcement databases, and check overhead shots of city buildings.
