With war intensifying in Iraq, the New York Police Department has tightened security to protect the city from possible terrorist attacks.
The program, known as Operation Atlas, was praised recently as a "model for other communities to follow" by Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge.
"There is no city in this country that does a better job of working across the board to prevent terrorism than the City of New York," Ridge said.
The five main tenets of the program include increased personnel deployment, transit system security, expanded patrol operation and coverage, improved intelligence gathering and greater airspace security.
Greater numbers of NYPD officers are being deployed as part of harbor defense, aviation, chemical, hazardous materials and bomb detection units.
To ensure the security of transit passengers and installations, National Guardsmen additionally are patrolling the subway system, undercover officers are riding on subway cars and radiation detection units are stationed in subway terminals.
Checkpoints have been set up throughout the city and at all bridges and tunnels into the city. Police have Multiple Arrest Processing Center buses on standby and heavily armed officers in counter assault teams patrol the city in unmarked vehicles ready to respond to any type of terrorist attack.
Police patrols also have been increased throughout the city, and vehicles parked in front of important buildings and landmarks are being towed. Contingency plans have been drawn up to evacuate school children in the event of an emergency situation.
NYPD is also actively working with the federal government to cast the broadest safe net possible over the city. The FAA also has restricted air traffic over the city and combat aircraft has been assigned to defend New York airspace.
New York officials are also collaborating with New Jersey authorities to inspect sites in the state where radioactive materials could be stored. Smaller airports in the metropolitan area are under greater scrutiny as police officers reflect the city's determination not tobecome a victim of aerial terrorism again.
--Complied by Jon Breece
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