How NYPD is stepping up security for Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade
The New York Police Department is stepping up security along the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade route this year, in part because of increased terrorist concerns across New York state because of the Israel-Hamas war.
"CBS Mornings" was able to take a behind-the-scenes look at the NYPD's joint command center for the parade, which is expected to draw millions of spectators. NYPD counterterrorism deputy commissioner Rebecca Weiner said that as viewers prepare for the spectacle, she and her team are focusing on public safety.
"We've got teams of folks from our counterterrorism division, heavy weapons teams, blocker trucks, sand trucks, chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear detection and mitigation equipment, bomb squad, counterdrone capability, you name it, all these resources to make sure everybody is focusing on the parade," Weiner said.
Weiner, who runs the NYPD's intelligence-gathering for events like the parade, also has teams looking online "to identify any threats that might be materializing." There have been no specific threats related to the parade, she said.
"We have seen increases in all manner of issues, certainly, but nothing focused on this parade," Weiner said. "So when we say there are no specific credible or imminent threats to the parade, we really do mean that."
A security alert reviewed by CBS News points to foreign terrorist organizations calling for attacks on group gatherings and other public events in the United States, with much of the online chatter focused on New York state. CBS News New York reported earlier this week that the increased threats are a direct result of the violence in the Middle East.
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said on Tuesday that the NYPD and State Police have increased parade security, and highlighted the recent New York City Marathon as proof that authorities are remaining vigilant and able to secure large-scale events in the city.
"Are we living in a heightened threat environment? Absolutely. Are we seeing an increase in calls for violence? Absolutely. Those calls are coming from outside the country and inside, but there are no credible threats to the parade or to New York at this time," Jackie Bay, commissioner of the state Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services, told CBS News New York on Tuesday. "Everyone should feel absolutely safe going out there and enjoying the holiday."
