As Terror Alert Continues, NYPD Holds Drill to Prep for Mumbai Style Attack

As U.S. officials proclaim an alleged European terror plot still active, New York City police conducted a drill October 14 that simulated a Mumbai, India-style attack on civilians on a crowded street in Manhattan’s financial district. The drill simulated an attack near Wall Street and Ground Zero, on a mock block that contained a department store, a hotel, and a federal regulatory agency. The New York police commissioner addressed the media before the drill which began with two large explosions. “This is what we do,” he explained. “We think the unthinkable.” The drill simulated multiple bombs and shooters, including a bomb under a vehicle, and police responded with helicopters, dogs, automatic weapons, and an armored car. In the immediate aftermath of the 2008 Mumbai assault that claimed 175 lives, the New York Police Department (NYPD) revised its tactics to deal with a terrorist commando assault. During October 14’s drill in the Bronx, heavily armed Emergency Service Unit officers were backed by officers from the Organized Crime Control Bureau (OCCB) trained to respond to such an attack. The OCCB officers are intended to beef up the NYPD response and prevent multiple simultaneous attacks from overwhelming the responding force.

Comments? Email zaludreport@bnpmedia.com