Terrorism In Queens?

On Tuesday, January 28, members of the New York City Police Department and community leaders assembled at Queens Borough Hall to take part in a presentation on counter terrorism measures and become familiar with a new anti-terrorism initiative.
The presentation team included Deputy Inspector Salvatore DiPace Jr., counter terrorism coordinator, Patrol Borough Queens North; Deputy Inspector Gary Scirica, counter terrorism coordinator, Patrol Borough Queens South; and Detective Linda Mamara, Community Affairs, One Police Plaza.
According to Scirica, the presentation consisted of three parts dealing with the global situation since 9/11, the specific duties of the counter terrorism coordinators, and what the community could do to fight the war on terrorism.
The formation of the counter terrorism bureau marks the first time in 30 years that the NYPD has created a new bureau, said Scirica, adding that the department has also revamped its intelligence division. He stated that over 1,000 officers are specifically dedicated to counter terrorism duties.
"The mission of the counter terrorism bureau is to prevent acts of terrorism before they occur which includes having some officers stationed throughout the world so that we don’t have to rely on other agencies to gather intelligence information," said Scirica who mentioned that the department will also be monitoring broadcasts throughout the world.
The counter terrorism bureau is the intake place for all terrorist leads that are reported no matter how minor they appear to be. These leads are then given to the joint terrorist task force, which consists of over 20 agencies, including the FBI, IRS and INS. The counter terrorism bureau also will be conducting security assessments at locations throughout the city that might be vulnerable to terrorist attacks.
Inspector DiPace spoke about the specific duties of the counter terrorism coordinators. In the past, he said, the NYPD didn’t get terrorist information firsthand but with the creation of the new bureau the NYPD is now a conduit of information. "We have five objectives," said DiPace, "to confer with the commanding officers, attend roll calls and speak to the officers, attend civic meetings, conduct mobilization drills, and obtain new equipment for police officers."
DiPace stated that starting this month, more than 35,000 bags of equipment, which will include various types of masks and hoods, will be distributed to police officers. He also mentioned the new toll-free terrorism hotline at 1-888-NYC-SAFE.
Detective Linda Mamara gave the bulk of the presentation speaking about the importance of community involvement. "In the past, the New York City Police Department has asked the community for assistance in combating crime. Now were asking for that assistance again in combating terrorism," said Mamara. The detective spoke about the key factor of awareness by people in the community. "We are actively recruiting for all of our civilian-based programs within the department such as the blockwatcher and civilians on patrol programs," said Mamara. She spoke about the three conditions that are required to have a criminal or terrorist act: desire, availability, and opportunity.
"In the Police Department, we are in the business of targeting behavior," said Mamara who proceeded to give a list of what community members should do concerning terrorism. "Observe and report unusual behavior," said the detective who added that there are many myths concerning terrorism which include the idea that all terrorists are adult males. "They’re now using women and young children," said Mamara. She spoke about other myths including the idea that all terrorists are religious fanatics, that all terrorists act alone, and that terrorists cannot speak English fluently. "They’re trained to blend into their surroundings," she added.
"We’re asking people to gather as much information as possible and then report that to the appropriate authorities," said Mamara who added that descriptions should be as detailed as possible.