The Secret Service is gearing up to protect over 140 world leaders, including the leaders of Israel, the Palestinians, and Ukraine, who will be attending the upcoming United Nations General Assembly in New York City. With the annual diplomatic pilgrimage just around the corner, the agency is confident in its multi-layer, multi-agency plan to ensure the safety of the dignitaries.
The plan includes not just motorcades and protective details, but also NYPD helicopters and patrol boats, a dozen U.N. security K-9 teams sweeping for explosives, road closures, and traffic diversions. The Secret Service is bringing in agents from posts around the world for the event, and the Coast Guard is restricting East River access near the U.N. Additionally, the Federal Aviation Administration is closing airspace.
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As the U.N. General Assembly is deemed a Super Bowl-level National Special Security Event, the Secret Service is working closely with other agencies, including the New York City Police Department and the U.N. Security and Safety Service. This year’s event is especially busy, with the Republican and Democratic conventions and the final weeks of the presidential campaign also taking place during this time.
The operation tempo is incredibly high, said Patrick Freaney, the special agent in charge of the Secret Service’s New York field office. But, he added, “they are rising to this moment” and meeting the challenges.
The joint operations center, which allows the Secret Service, NYPD, and other agencies to communicate instantly to root out threats and logistical snags, is a key component of the plan. This center is equipped with 10 local and federal agencies, including the FBI and Federal Emergency Management Agency and the State and Defense departments.
The U.N. Security and Safety Service has its command post in the “Brain Center,” a state-of-the-art security post located beneath the United Nations headquarters. This center is staffed around the clock by U.N. security officers who work in 12-hour shifts while world leaders are in town.
Security plans for the UNGA started to take shape a few months ago, using past gatherings as a blueprint while making adjustments for changing world events such as the wars in Gaza and Ukraine. Inspector Malinda McCormack said the goal is to receive, analyze, and quickly disseminate information.
The command post is equipped with wall-to-wall monitors showing live feeds from dozens of the 1,400 security cameras on the 18-acre headquarters campus. All cameras are recorded and can be reviewed instantly, and automated voices alert potential breaches and emergencies. Computers generate real-time data and photos for each of the upwards of 22,000 people who pass through security checkpoints per day. Fire alarms tie directly into the city’s central dispatch system for immediate response.
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As of Friday, authorities said, there were no specific or credible threats to the event. However, Rebecca Weiner, the NYPD’s deputy commissioner for intelligence and counterterrorism, acknowledged the chaotic and unpredictable nature of the threat environment.
“These are very different times,” Weiner said. World leaders are meeting at the UNGA for the first time since Hamas attacked Israel on October 7, 2023, triggered an Israeli offensive in Gaza that has killed tens of thousands of people.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas are both expected at UNGA. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is also expected to return, while Russian President Vladimir Putin will not be attending but is sending Russia’s foreign minister Sergey Lavrov.
Conclusion:
The Secret Service’s plan to protect over 140 world leaders attending the United Nations General Assembly is a complex and challenging operation that requires seamless collaboration between multiple agencies. As the event approaches, the agency is confident in its ability to ensure the safety of the dignitaries, despite the unpredictable nature of the threat environment.
FAQs:
* How many world leaders are attending the United Nations General Assembly?
Over 140
* What is the plan to protect the world leaders?
The plan includes motorcades, protective details, NYPD helicopters and patrol boats, U.N. security K-9 teams, road closures, traffic diversions, and coordination with other agencies.
* What is the Secret Service’s role in protecting the world leaders?
The Secret Service is in charge of protecting the world leaders and is working closely with other agencies, including the NYPD and the U.N. Security and Safety Service.
* What is the National Special Security Event designation, and why is it relevant to the UNGA?
The National Special Security Event designation is a high-level classification given to special events of national significance. The UNGA is deemed a Super Bowl-level National Special Security Event, which requires a multi-layer, multi-agency approach to security.
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