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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: March 16, 2003

SCHUMER URGES FEDS TO COVER NY'S EXPANDED SECURITY COSTS IN ADVENT OF WAR

Schumer calls on Department of Defense to resume fighter plane patrols over NYC

Schumer urges Bush Administration to treat NYC as special case when it comes to federal aid for homeland security

With NYC the US target most commonly mentioned in intercepted communications, NYPD set to pay $5 million a week to expand street patrols if war begins

With the NYPD gearing up for war on Iraq with an ambitious multi-million dollar plan to keep New Yorkers safe, US Senator Charles Schumer today called on the federal government to cover the cost of the plan. Schumer, who made his request today in a letter to President Bush, said the plan to keep bridges, tunnels, government buildings, and houses of worship safe would cost the city $5 million a week.

Schumer said he will also push hard for the Department of Defense to patrol the skies over the city with combat aircraft, and for the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to restrict airspace over Manhattan.

"I understand that these patrols are expensive," Schumer said. "But the price we paid on September 11 was high as well, and the price we could pay if round-the-clock patrols cease could be far greater."

“New York City is the single target most mentioned in intercepted communications we hear," Schumer said. "That's because New York is our nation's financial and cultural center, and because we symbolize to the rest of the world everything the United States is about. For that reason, our city needs a first-rate security plan that is air-tight, sophisticated, and leaves no stone turned. Unfortunately, that costs a lot of money and our city's fiscal state couldn't be more dire. Because New York is a target that represents America, the federal government ought to step in and cover the bill to keep it safe."

New York City's massive security plan, called Operation Atlas, boosts security measures beyond even the levels implemented last month when the federal government raised the national terror warning to orange from yellow. If and when an invasion of Iraq is launched, hundreds of extra police officers will be put on duty to patrol outside synagogues, mosques and other houses of worship, as well as landmark buildings, financial institutions, major tourist attractions, and government buildings. According to the NYPD, special attention will also be paid to bridges, tunnels and the water supply system.

Schumer said the federal government should step in and reimburse New York City and other localities for the overtime costs that are being incurred as a result of the stepped-up security measures being put in place in case of war.

"It isn't a sure thing, but at this point war certainly seems likely. It is vital that we be prepared to do everything we possibly can to secure our homeland, particularly New York City which is the site of so many threats, from the attacks of evil-minded people," Schumer said. "Now that we've learned from September 11, we don't want to be in a situation where we wake up the morning after an attack and say 'what if?' The price for all this security and precaution is New York's Finest will be forced to work almost literally non-stop. They should be paid accordingly for those duties, and the federal government should make sure the NYPD is adequately equipped and supported to do so."

Schumer said that once Operation Atlas begins, there will be new precautions added to protect ferries and terminals, and dogs sniffing for explosives will check subway cars. Officers preparing for Operation Atlas have been stationed in subway stations over the last few weeks, conducting intense, rapid searches on subway platforms and in trains. Elite National Guardsmen from upstate New York will also be trained to handle incidents involving weapons of mass destruction in the city.

Operation Atlas combines emergency plans from six of the NYPD's bureaus: counterterrorism, intelligence, detectives, transportation, patrol and organized crime. Additional units equipped with armored gear and carrying submachine guns will be visible throughout the city and prepared to respond to radiation, chemical or biological attacks. Terrorism experts say that while Al Qaeda has been seriously disrupted by the US military and law enforcement agencies, suicide bombers and individual attackers remain a concern.

For a copy of Schumer's letter to President Bush click here.

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