Counterterrorism teams remained deployed in crowded areas of New York City Saturday “out of an abundance of caution” following the multiple fatal attacks in Paris.
The NYPD said it had deployed the teams to reassure the public as it monitors the situation. Police said they were in contact with French police counterparts and the FBI. Intelligence Bureau detectives in France were offering their assistance to local police and gathering information in real-time.
John Miller, the NYPD’s deputy commissioner of intelligence and counterterrorism, told “CBS This Morning” on Saturday that security has been stepped up in locations that New Yorkers and tourists gather, including Rockefeller Center, Times Square, Penn Station and Grand Central Station.
Mayor Bill de Blasio told WABC-TV on Friday that police had deployed officers to protect the French Mission to the U.N. and the French consulate, as well as other French-related sites.
“Our hearts are with the people of Paris right now,” he said.
Sen. Chuck Schumer was at the French consulate Friday night, where he told amNewYork that local law enforcement is on “high alert” after the attacks in Paris.
He also said that the attacks were likely the work of al Qaeda or ISIS, explaining that the situation in Paris was “too sophisticated and too widespread to be the act of a lone wolf.”
Gov. Andrew Cuomo has said he has directed state law enforcement to remain vigilant.
“These were tragic and senseless acts of violence that have claimed innocent lives and torn families apart — and my heart goes out to the loved ones of all who have been lost,” Cuomo said. “As more details emerge, I want the people of Paris to know that just as the world has stood by New York in times of tragedy, today New York stands with you.”
