FBI New York prepared to keep NYC safe during FIFA World Cup, America 250 celebrations
Between the FIFA World Cup and America 250 celebrations, there's a lot going on in New York City this summer, and security will be tight.
CBS News New York's Jennifer Bisram spoke one-on-one with Amit Kachhia-Patel, the FBI New York's special agent in charge of the Mission Services Division, about their safety plans for New Yorkers and tourists.
How the agency is preparing
"Safety is our number one priority," Kachhia-Patel said. "We feel we're well-resourced to be able to address not only the events that are happening this summer along with the day-to-day work that we do."
Some of the events this summer include a Times Square ball drop and Sail 250, where international ships will converge on New York harbors.
"We are having tabletop exercises, where we will actually put in the reps, get everyone together in the same room, and then go over a variety of scenarios," Kachhia-Patel said.
He said they're using lessons from past large events to shape this year's strategy.
"One of the larger events that our office covers is the United States General Assembly, which is a gathering of world leaders, typically early fall," he said. "So we've got a lot of of reps throughout the years from that particular event, particularly when it comes to VIPs coming to the city, tourists coming into the city."
Biggest concerns
Kachhia-Patel said lone actors, cyber threats, international terrorism and remote-controlled threats are being monitored closely.
"Drones are a concern for the event," he said. "The FBI has a counter-drone capability, so we are working with our partners to set up that counter-drone capability."
FBI New York is the bureau's largest agency. Kachhia-Patel said with over 2,000 agents and support staff – plus local, state and federal law enforcement partners – there will be no safety gaps this summer.
"There's always a concern whenever you have large events like this, and we try to put ourselves in the best position to be successful in the event anything happens," Kachhia-Patel said.
The FBI said there are no current credible threats, but as always, if you see something, say something.
