1010 WINS Exclusive: Pope's Visit May Include A Stop In Central Park

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- The Big Apple is on Pope Francis' itinerary for his trip to the U.S. and Police Commissioner Bill Bratton is getting a security plan ready.

The pope will be visiting the city in September and has insisted that he wants to meet and greet New Yorkers.

A stop in Central Park may be on his agenda.

Bratton told 1010 WINS' Juliet Papa that the NYPD has been working with the Vatican, Homeland Security, Secret Service and other security officials to make accommodations that will keep the pope protected as he walks among the people.

"The history of this pope in his travels internationally is that he is very different than his predecessors, very different than anything we've ever dealt with from a security standpoint," Bratton said.

A papal visit of this kind is unprecedented. During past visits to New York, popes were in the "popemobile" or another protected vehicle.

"Previous visits -- and I was here for the '95 visit -- the security of the pope was enhanced by the vehicles he traveled in, by limiting the exposure of the public in terms of getting close to him, and touching him, etc.," Bratton said.

Bratton told Papa that authorities would prefer that level of protection, but the pope doesn't want it.

"This pope has made it quite clear that he is going to participate with the crowds in a very different way. So, as part of our security planning we're working very closely with the Vatican and with Cardinal Dolan who's coordinating to try to find common ground where we can feel comfortable. When I say 'we' the security officials, this program is being directed by Homeland Security. It's getting a national designation because of the scale of it, and we'll work with Homeland Security, Secret Service," Bratton said.

Essential to the mission, Bratton explained, was finding common ground that would allow the pope to meet New Yorkers while staying safe.

'We, at all times, would like to keep him in a bubble. That's how we tend to operate in New York. The pope, I think has shown quite clearly that he doesn't want to be contained in a bubble. So, we're going to have to find common ground that he's satisfied that he's comfortable and we're satisfied that we can protect him," Bratton said.

Bratton said they are working on locations to accommodate that.

"Issues around Central Park are still being worked on, travel routes, etc., opportunity for the public to see him," Bratton said.

Central Park may be a staging area for the pope and his public routes, Papa reported.

Bratton told Papa that there have been major changes throughout the planning process and the type of exposure the pope would have to the public had yet to be determined.

"Other than confirmation of the time frame of where he's going to be in New York, the events are constantly changing and have been changing. Just this last week there's been a major change in one of the events," Bratton said.

While past visits to the U.S. have seen the pope cruising through crowds in an armored vehicle, Bratton said the pace of this visit would be considerably slower.

"When I did this in Boston in 1978 for the pope's visit to Boston, we moved him through the streets of Boston at around 30, 40 mph. If you blinked your eye you were gonna miss him after standing in the rain for 4 hours," Bratton said, "In this instance we're going to have to adjust to a pope that wants to have a lot more opportunity to mix with the faithful.

The pontiff has several events on his official schedule for his short trip, including Mass at Madison Square Garden. Tickets are required to attend.

Details about the motorcade routes or other ways the public and see him have not been released yet.

It's the first time Central Park has been publicly mentioned as a possibility.

The city will also be protecting 160 heads of state who will be in town for the UN. President Barack Obama will be arriving the following week, but won't be in New York when the pope is here.