The nation's largest, most sophisticated law enforcement agency, the
New York City Police Department, announced its acquisition of new,
high-tech equipment to help police officers keep the city safe from
terrorists: the NYPD's Harbor Unit now possesses six unmanned underwater
drones to help bomb technicians and emergency services unit officers to
detect suspected underwater explosives.
The NYPD now possesses six underwater drones, with each costing
between $75,000 and $120,000 depending on the drones' capabilities.
These drones help to sweep the city's waterways and bridges searching
for possible bombs and IEDs (improvised explosive devices). In a recent
drone demonstration, NYPD officers easily tossed the lightweight --
sixteen pound -- submersible equipped with lights and sonar into the
harbor and sailed it beneath the hull of a large commercial tanker
docked close to the Kings County (Brooklyn) Army Terminal.
The police officers showed that they were able to guide the drone via
remote control in order to utilize its underwater camera to search
below the ship. The drone operators, all of whom are veteran detectives,
have been trained to identify what biological or radiological weapons
look like and where underwater explosives or narcotics are most likely
to be hidden.
Under Police Commissioner Bernard Kerik and later his replacement Ray
Kelly, the Harbor Unit is used more in performing counterterrorism
operations than the unit is used to conduct rescue and recovery
operations.
On most days the unit receives several security alerts from the
police department's Intelligence Division each day. This situation
demands that the unit inspects suspicious boats below bridges, sweep an
incoming cargo ship's hull, or respond to a report of a "suspicious
floating package."
With thousands of cargo ships entering New York Harbor and millions
of shipping containers being delivered, the law enforcement recognizes
the reality that New York's harbor and waterways are prime terrorist
targets.
Should the police find a suspected underwater device they have been
instructed to call in the U.S. Navy, since NYPD bomb squad members are
not trained to neutralize underwater explosives.
Jim Kouri,
CPP, formerly Fifth Vice-President, is currently a Board Member of the
National Association of Chiefs of Police, an editor for
ConservativeBase.com, and he's a columnist for Examiner.com. In
addition, he's a blogger for the Cheyenne, Wyoming Fox News Radio
affiliate KGAB (www.kgab.com) and editor of Conservative Base Magazine (www.conservativebase.com). Kouri also serves as political advisor for Emmy and Golden Globe winning actor Michael Moriarty.
He's former chief at a New York City
housing project in Washington Heights nicknamed "Crack City" by
reporters covering the drug war in the 1980s. In addition, he served as
director of public safety at a New Jersey university and director of
security for several major organizations. He's also served on the
National Drug Task Force and trained police and security officers
throughout the country. Kouri writes for many police and security
magazines including Chief of Police, Police Times, The Narc Officer and
others. He's a news writer and columnist for AmericanDaily.Com,
MensNewsDaily.Com, MichNews.Com, and he's syndicated by AXcessNews.Com.
Kouri appears regularly as on-air commentator for over 100 TV and radio
news and talk shows including Fox News Channel, Oprah, McLaughlin
Report, CNN Headline News, MTV, etc.
To subscribe to Kouri's newsletter write to COPmagazine@aol.com and write "Subscription" on the subject line.
