Head of Security for World Trade Center Resigns
The head of security for the company that manages the 1 World Trade Center building has resigned from his position.
David Velazquez had been security director for The Durst Organization, which took over security of the tower in January. Velazquez is a former director of the FBI field office in Newark, N.J.
Velazquez’s resignation came in the wake of a string of major trespassing cases at the skyscraper, including four men who did a BASE jump off the building on Sept. 30 of last year, before Velazquez began; two CNN producers who recently attempted to pass through a manned gate into the World Trade Center site at Vesey and Washington streets; and a teenager who last month crawled through a hole in the fence, climbed to the top of the building and took pictures for an hour.
The NYPD devotes more than 200 officers, surveillance cameras and other technology to protect the perimeter of the site, while Port Authority police and private security agents guard the inside.
Ultimately, plans call for a $40 million system of barriers and checkpoints around the 16-acre trade center site.
Looking for a reprint of this article?
From high-res PDFs to custom plaques, order your copy today!
