POLITICS ON THE HUDSON

NY maintains precautions after Orlando shooting

Joseph Spector
Albany Bureau Chief
One World Trade Center on Sunday, June 12, is lit in the color of the pride flag to honor victims in Orlando terror attack

ALBANY - New York is maintaining heightened security measures after Sunday's nightclub massacre in Orlando, continuing additional patrols at key sites around the state and New York City.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo and New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said in separate announcements that they would beef up police presence in public areas, on its public transportation systems and at gay clubs.

"While there is no specific intelligence that suggests any link between the attacks that occurred in Orlando with New York, out of an abundance of caution, I have directed additional security measures at key points around the state as a precaution," Cuomo said in a statement Sunday.

The state Division of Homeland Security & Emergency Services increased monitoring of of various large public gatherings, including various sporting venues, Cuomo said. State Police and the National Guard increased surveillance of the state's infrastructure, including transportation hubs.

Patrols were also increased on all bridges, tunnels and trains managed by the Port Authority of New York & New Jersey and the Metropolitan Transportation Authority.

"I want you to know that at this point there are no credible threats directed against New York City," de Blasio said in a press briefing late Sunday. "At the same time, we are on high alert. We have close coordination with all of our federal partners; with the Joint Terrorism Taskforce, the FBI, and all our partners. We are vigilant."

New York City’s Gay Pride Parade on June 26 is scheduled as planned, but with more police presence, city officials said.

De Blasio said Monday that the city's patrols have added 500 officers from its critical response team.

"You will see them out and evident today, all over the city in all kinds of locations and also by LGBT community locations," de Blasio said on WCBS-AM (880). "This attacker obviously meant to intimidate and attack that community. So you will see that expanded police presence."

After the shooting that left at least 49 dead at the gay club in Orlando, New York City was ramping up patrols at gay clubs, including the historic Stonewall Inn in Manhattan.

"We have selected locations in the downtown area like the Stonewall and the vicinity thereof to take a very firm, positive posture with the long guns out there," said James Waters, the NYPD's chief of counterterrorism. "And we will continue to do that. We will be moving from place to pace and moving our resources around as the intelligence" dictates.

Cuomo's office encouraged New Yorkers to report any suspicious activities to the state's Intelligence Center tip line: 1-866-SAFE-NYS (1-866-723-3697) or Ctcenter@nysic.ny.gov