The New York Police Department said officers from its
Counterterrorism Response Command and other special units were
deployed in areas frequented by tourists, and at the French
Consulate in Manhattan.
"Teams have been dispatched to crowded areas around the city out of
an abundance of caution to provide police presence and public
reassurance as we follow the developing situation overseas," the
NYPD said in a statement.
New York, the site of the Sept. 11, 2001, hijacked plane attacks
that killed nearly 3,000 people and destroyed the World Trade
Center's twin towers, is considered a top target for potential
attacks by Islamist militants. The top of the Empire State Building
and the spire at One World Trade Center were lit up Friday night
with blue, white and red, the colors of the French flag.
The nearly simultaneous gun and bomb attacks in Paris killed at
least 120 people in various places across the French capital and
wounded many others
The NYPD did not say how many extra officers were sent to guard the
areas of concern nor did it specify the areas where the extra
officers were sent.
"Every time we see an attack like this, it is a reminder to be
prepared, to be vigilant,” New York Mayor Bill de Blasio told ABC 7
television.
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said he directed state law
enforcement officials to monitor the Paris situation for any
implications for New York state and to remain in constant
communication with their local and federal partners.
The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey said police were on
heightened alert at all of the agency's bridges, tunnels and rail
facilities, as well as at the World Trade Center in lower Manhattan.
It said it was increasing patrols and checking of buses and trains
and passengers' bags.
U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson said in a
statement that "we know of no specific or credible threats of an
attack on the U.S. homeland of the type that occurred in Paris
tonight."
The National Basketball Association, which had 11 games on the
schedule Friday night, said it was increasing security at each of
the venues. The most popular sport, American football, would not
have any games until Sunday as previously scheduled.
"Security at our games is always at a heightened state of alert,"
National Football League spokesman Brian McCarthy said.
Outside of New York, law enforcement and transportation agencies
said they were also on high alert.
The U.S. Capitol Police in Washington boosted patrols around the
Capitol complex, a spokeswoman said. "There is currently no known
threat to the Capitol Complex," she said in an email.
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The Metropolitan Police Department in Washington had deployed
additional law enforcement resources to French-owned sites and other
high-profile locations as a precaution but there was no imminent
threat, said Officer Sean Hickman.
At the French Embassy in Washington, D.C., a fashion show went ahead
as scheduled, with hosts pausing the event for a moment of silence
to honor the victims in Paris.
In Boston, the police department said it deployed additional
resources and was working closely with federal authorities but saw
no credible threat in the city, where Islamist militant sympathizers
set off home-made bombs at the Boston Marathon finish line in April
2013. Massachusetts State Police said they took "several actions",
including bolstering security around the State House in Boston.
The St. Louis Police Department said it added an extra layer of
security for the World Cup soccer qualifying match between the
United States and St. Vincent on Friday night.
Chicago police were following developments in France to determine
whether to bolster city security but was not aware of any immediate
threats.
"Tonight the City of Chicago stands shoulder to shoulder with the
City of Paris in the wake of today's despicable and horrifying
attacks," Mayor Rahm Emanuel said.
San Francisco police officers have been told to maintain high
visibility and increase patrols in areas of high public traffic,
such as bus and train stations, said Sgt. Michael Andraychak. Police
have been in contact with the French Consulate.
In Pittsburgh, which was hosting a National Hockey League game on
Friday, a police spokeswoman said public safety personnel were
working with intelligence authorities to identify any indications of
local threats.
Amtrak, the U.S. passenger train service, said there were no
specific or credible threats against the railway.
(Additional reporting by Ian Simpson and Tom Ramstack in Washington,
Mary Wisniewski in Chicago and Victoria Cavaliere in Los Angeles;
Writing by Frank McGurty; Editing by Grant McCool, Diane Craft and
Ken Wills)
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