NYPD Steps Up Security In Wake Of Barcelona Attack
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork/AP) — The NYPD has dispatched heavily armed officers to Times Square and other locations as a precaution in response to the van attack in Spain.
Counterterrorism Chief James Waters said there are some security measures you'll see and others you won't.
"Cameras and license plate readers and other sensors as well as bollards and cement barriers," he said.
NYPD spokesman Peter Donald said police have also beefed up security around Spanish diplomatic spots in the city.
Donald said that the department is "closely monitoring" the situation in Barcelona, where the van rammed into a crowd in a popular tourist section of the city.
"Whenever there's a plot activated like in Barcelona, the NYPD always steps up their game," security expect Manny Gomez said. "They're also sending a message out to that lone wolf that may be somewhere in the city thinking about doing something similar."
Officials said there were no specific threats to New York City.
On Thursday, Gov. Andrew Cuomo directed that the lights on the spire of One World Trade Center be lit in red and yellow — the colors of the Spanish flag.
As CBS2's Meg Baker reported, the attacks hit home for a restaurant owner in New Jersey. He has a cooking school in Barcelona, just steps away from Las Ramblas. Many of his students there are American.
The owner of Mompou Restaurant in Newark has been frantically trying to touch base with family, friends and business partners in Barcelona.
Tony Martinez is part owner of the Barcelona cooking school located 100 feet from where terrorists drove a van into pedestrians.
"It's been a very long 24 hours. Through emails, text messages, phone calls, we have reached out to everyone,"he said.
Martinez's head chef in Spain ran into the school to alert everyone about the attack.
Instructors then wanted to make sure their students were accounted for, 42 percent of them were Americans visiting the European city for the first time.
"Make sure they were sage, and provide for some availability if they had any questions," he said.
All but one couple has been located. Going above and beyond, Martinez is sending someone to their hotel to check on them.
He said the cooking classes are meant to immerse visitors in the culture of Spain. Students go to local markets, and shop for ingredients and then learn to cook paella.
Martinez will not let the attack deter from this experience.
"It is a European city in a major capital. Some kind of risk when it comes to these events, but for most part you see people enjoying themselves, traveling, exploring, that's something we should continue to do," he said.
He hopes others will not allow these incidents to stop them from living, seeing, and tasting the world. His cooking school will be closed for two days out of respect for the victims.
(© Copyright 2017 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
