USA: INCREASED SECURITY PRESENCE IN NEW YORK CITY BECAUSE OF HEIGHTENED TERROR THREAT

Record ID: 648050

  • Title: USA: INCREASED SECURITY PRESENCE IN NEW YORK CITY BECAUSE OF HEIGHTENED TERROR THREAT
  • Date: 24th December 2003
  • Summary: (W6) NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK, UNITED STATES (DECEMBER 24, 2003) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) 1. WIDE OF NEW YORK CITY STREET, PEOPLE WALKING WITH UMBRELLAS 0.03 2. VARIOUS OF POLICE OFFICER STOPPING TAXIS (3 SHOTS) 0.16 3. WIDE OF MACY'S DEPARTMENT STORE DECORATED FOR CHRISTMAS 0.21 4. SLV SHOPPERS IN FRONT OF MACY'S 0.26 5. SCU (SOUNDBITE) (English) STEVE DEFILIPPIS SAYING: "It's nice seeing all the cops on the trains. All state troopers, we rode in from White Plains and there's three state troopers sitting on the train. So it feels good." 0.34 6. SCU (SOUNDBITE) (English) FERNANDO GONZALEZ SAYING: "I'm really not worried about it. I don't think anything's going to happen, I think we're safe. I'm going through the airports, I know they're taking a lot of security measures, I'm just not worried about it at all." 0.43 7. SCU (SOUNDBITE) (English) JOYCE HARTE SAYING: "Because I have to do what I have to do and I continue to go, and I have faith in God so I do what I have to do." 0.50 8. WIDE OF EXTERIOR OF PATH TRAIN STATION AT GROUND ZERO , PEOPLE WALKING PAST 0.55 9. CLOSE OF WORLD TRADE CENTER PATH STATION ON WALL 0.58 10. PAN TO PEOPLE LEAVING STATION 1.03 11. SLV POLICE OFFICERS AND CAR OUTSIDE STATION 1.12 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
  • Embargoed: 8th January 2004 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK, UNITED STATES
  • City:
  • Country: USA
  • Reuters ID: LVAEUK2XC1NC2QRN41U8P6RVLDD0
  • Story Text: New Yorkers brave the rain and security concerns to
    do their last minute Christmas shopping.




    With the final day of Christmas shopping before
    Christmas well underway, rain soaked New Yorkers were out
    on the streets braving the elements to buy last minute
    presents on Wednesday (December 24). But this holiday
    season shoppers also face a heightened level of security.

    U.S authorities stepped up security procedures around
    the country after officials raised the terror alert to the
    second highest level in advance of the Christmas holiday
    period.

    Bridges and tunnels are being closely observed, with
    police randomly checking cars, taxis and unmarked vans for
    their contents.

    It is the fifth time the nation has been elevated to
    code orange since the September 11th attacks, but New York
    City has remained on code orange throughout the two years
    since the Twin Towers fell on September 11, 2001.

    Outside Macy's department store shoppers said they
    noticed the increased security presence but said they were
    not going let their shopping fall victim to terror
    concerns.

    Steve Defilippis said he felt comforted by the sight of
    additional police. "It's nice seeing all the cops on the
    trains. All state troopers, we rode in from White Plains
    and there's three state troopers sitting on the train."
    "I'm really not worried about it," said Fernando
    Gonzalez. "I don't think anything's going to happen, I
    think we're safe. I'm going through the airports, I know
    they're taking a lot of security measures, I'm just not
    worried about it at all."
    "Because I have to do what I have to do and I continue
    to go, and I have faith in God so I do what I have to do,"
    said Joyce Harte.

    And what most people have to do on Wednesday is take
    advantage of the precious few hours left to shop before
    Christmas.

    Last weekend retailers finally got a snowstorm-free
    weekend after back-to-back weekend white-outs in parts of
    the U.S. Northeast, but the heightened security situation
    may have discouraged some shoppers from hitting big malls.

    On Monday (December 22) the U.S. government urged
    Americans to be alert but go on with holiday travel and
    shopping and let security officials deal with an al Qaeda
    attack threat described as the biggest since September 11, 2001.

    A day after increasing the national threat alert
    status, Bush convened his Homeland Security Council to
    review steps taken to increase security at airports, ports,
    bridges, nuclear plants and other possible targets of
    attacks.

    The consensus was that Americans should proceed as
    normal despite intelligence reports that Osama bin Laden's
    al Qaeda may be planning multiple catastrophic attacks in
    the United States or against targets abroad.




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