NYPD patrol cops would be the first responders to a Paris-style attack in the city but would be no match for ISIS trained terrorists armed with assault rifles that would make a mockery of their 9 mm handguns, PBA president Pat Lynch told the Post today.
He says this is a major “soft spot” in the NYPD’s counterterrorism program and that it will cost lives in the pivotal first minutes of an attack.
He’s demanding that the department provide special counter-terrorism training to all cops – and equip every patrol car as a “mini counter-terrorism unit.”
“As we have warned in the past, there is a soft spot in the department’s anti-terrorism plan because it is likely that the first to arrive on the scene of a Paris-style attack will be regular local patrol officers who are neither trained nor equipped to engage the terrorists,” Lynch said. “In the event of multiple, simultaneous attacks, countless lives could be saved by equipping patrol officers with the appropriate weapons and giving them the training needed to engage terrorists immediately instead of waiting for specialized units to respond.”
The proposal may have seemed laughable in the past, but many cops now say such aggressive and costly measures are necessary to meet the recently-realized threat posed by terrorists.
“It is disturbing to constantly hear there is no credible threat of terrorism when every event to date i.e., the World Trade Center, bombing of planes, attacks in Paris all happened without a credible threat,” said Ed Mullins, president of the Sergeants Benevolent Association. “Sadly, the rank and file patrol members of the NYPD will be amongst the first to respond and are not equipped with assault rifles or adequate ballistic protection. This is reminiscent of the days of sending canaries into coal mines.”
“All the intelligence confirms that it’s just a matter of time before New York City is struck by terror attack similar to what happened in Mumbai and Paris,” another police source said. “We at the NYPD haven’t learned our lesson yet. I’m afraid people won’t get the will until there are bodies piling up on the street.”
The NYPD called such an initiative impractical and said the department is already geared up to respond to attacks.
“Our Emergency Service Units, which are highly trained to provide special weapons and tactics (SWAT) coverage, are assigned on all tours in all boroughs of the city,” NYPD spokesman Stephen Davis said, and also touted the new Critical Response Command (CRC), which will be staffed with over 500 officers, and the Strategic Response Group (SRG), with 800 officers.
“It is both unnecessary and impractical for every single police officer walking the beat or on routine patrol to be armed with heavy, assault-type weapons,” Davis said. “The NYPD has what is widely regarded as the best active-shooter response capability of any major US police department. We are confident that we have established the appropriate level of preparedness to deal with potential active-shooter incidents.”
Police Commissioner Bill Bratton and Mayor de Blasio sounded off on Lynch and Mullins during a press conference Wednesday evening. “I’m sorry to hear the two union leaders are demeaning their own membership by basically saying they are not capable of handling a threat,” Bratton said. “I’m sorry, I disagree very strongly with them.”
The mayor added, “This is the best prepared city to handle any kind of situation…. Can’t speak for the union leaders, but the people have faith and know they’re being protected.”