NYC Beefs Up Security Ahead of Weekend Marathon
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ABC News(NEW YORK) — The New York City Marathon will be run Sunday, after last year’s Hurricane Sandy-related hiatus, under new security measures that reflect the Boston Marathon bombings.
Broadly, there will be more people, more assets and more money dedicated to security.
“The NYPD began examining and enhancing its coverage for the race starting the day after the Boston Marathon,” New York City Police Commissioner Ray Kelly said.
There are no specific threats, but police have adjusted their usual plans after consulting with Boston police and the FBI.
Runners will be screened and their bags checked. Spectators at the finish line are discouraged from bringing backpacks. Scuba divers will be checking bridge footings and shorelines and dozens of K9 units will be deployed at varying locations.
In addition, there are more cameras eyeballing the course. “After the Boston bombings we saw how critical camera footage was in the identification of possible subjects,” Kelly said.
The cameras will be combined with 9-1-1 calls, suspicious package alerts and radiation level readings to give police a real-time sense of what’s happening at and around the marathon.
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