112th Precinct Community Council

commanding officer message

May 08, 2005

As the Commanding Officer of the 112th Precinct, I would like to inform community residents about the New York City Police Department's Counter -Terrorism Initiative, "Operation Atlas". This is a major citywide initiative, which has been implemented in response to the U.S. Military Actions in Iraq, to protect New York City from possible reprisal attacks by terrorist groups and others. I know many residents in the 112th Precinct commute from Queens to Manhattan, to their place of business. In addition, as the Summer Season approaches, many people will be traveling on vacation. I would like to reassure everyone in our community that every possible step is being taken by the NYPD, to ensure the safety of the residents of our city. Staffing and assignments of Operation Atlas will change as needed. Some of the major components of Operation Atlas are:
Increased Deployment of Department Personnel
?¨ Expanded Harbor, Emergency Service Units, Aviation Units.
?¨ HAMMER Teams, (joint police/fire department experts in hazardous materials), have been placed throughout the city.
?¨ Heavily armed HERCULES teams have been deployed randomly, throughout the city.
Increased Transit System Security
?¨ The National Guard is assisting in patrolling the subway system and Penn Station.
?¨ Undercover Teams are riding the subways.
?¨ Radiation detection is being used in the Subways.
?¨ Additional Police Officers are patrolling high-density transit locations.
Patrol Operations Increased Coverage
?¨ Systematic searches for radioactive materials are being conducted throughout the city.
?¨ Critical Response Vans are being deployed to events, hotels, restaurants, and tourist locations.
?¨ The Financial District is under Intense 24 Hour Coverage.
?¨ Each Patrol Borough Commander has Stand Alone Plans, to act as an autonomous police department if Police Headquarters Command and control should become disabled.
Intelligence
?¨ Daily assessments to decide which landmarks, museums, hotels, and attractions need added protection.
?¨ Heavy surveillance of fuel depots.
?¨ Daily assessments, to determine which foreign missions may need additional protection.
?¨ Briefing of garage owners and attendants, about suspect vehicles that might be left in parking lots.
All of these measures have been implemented to ensure the safety of New Yorkers and our City. If you see anything suspicious, please do not hesitate to contact 911. You can also report suspected Terrorist Activity to 1-888-NYC-SAFE.