
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) — Security remains high at locations and events across the Tri-State area days after twin bombings killed three people and injured more than 170 others at the Boston Marathon.
New Yorkers are on high alert, reporting more than 135 suspicious packages to the NYPD since the Boston bombings on Monday.
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“Just the world we live in,” said commuter Michael Hill. “I guess we have to adapt to it.”
The NYPD has said there are no specific threats, but city leaders said they are re-evaluating everything.
“The fact is: There remain people who want to attack us, and the moment we let our guard down — is the moment that the terrorists are waiting for,” Mayor Michael Bloomberg said Tuesday.
The NYPD has mobilized 1,000 members of its anti-terrorism squad. Hundreds more uniformed and undercover officers are on patrol while so-called “Hercules” teams guard monuments, iconic structures, houses of worship and other potential targets.
Police also have a network of 3,000 surveillance cameras to monitor suspicious objects and activities.
“Instead of watching a camera, the camera will alert and give us an alert on something suspicious happening in the field,” said Sal Dipace with the NYPD.
Police and security guards were visible at the Vanity Fair gala Tuesday night to kick off this year’s Tribeca Film Festival, where arriving guests were screened by an outdoor metal detector.
Police Commissioner Ray Kelly, who was at the event, said he hoped the increased police presence would calm people’s fears.
“We believe that by increasing uniform presence we’ve sort of raised the comfort level,” he said. “People understandably feel a little anxious after a terrible event — in Boston, so we do that to again make people feel a little more comfortable and let them know we’re on the job.”
But both Bloomberg and Kelly admit there are soft targets that are nearly impossible to secure.
“There are certain events that are going to be open just by their very nature,” Kelly said earlier Tuesday.
The city also has two major events coming up this weekend — a 5K run/walk to the Sept. 11 Memorial and Museum Sunday and a 4-mile race in Central Park.
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