NYPD: Tough to Stop Mumbai-Style Attack

The Chief-Leader/Michel Friang NEW TERROR WORRIES: Police Commissioner Raymond W. Kelly says the three-day terrorist attack in Mumbai where nearly 200 people were killed was the kind of commando-like military assault that could stretch the NYPD thin if it were repeated here, but that the department has implemented new preventive training. Accompanying him at the City Council hearing was Assistant Chief Charles S. Kammerdener, the commanding officer of the NYPD Special Operations Division.

Police Commissioner Raymond W. Kelly Feb. 10 told a City Council Committee that intelligence gathered from the terrorist attack in Mumbai, India showed that the NYPD's Emergency Services Unit would be stretched thin if something similar happened in New York.

Mr. Kelly told the Public Safety Committee that the department sent three officers to Mumbai to observe the response to the terrorist attack over three days in November during which nearly 200 people were killed. The senior officers, who are part of an overseas liaison program stationed in 11 cities around the world, did not aid in the investigation but rather gathered information about the attacks for the NYPD's internal use.

Terrorists' Shift in Tactics

"From the perspective of the New York City Police Department, one of the most important aspects of this attack was the shift in tactics from suicide bombs to commando-style military assault, with small teams of highly trained, heavily armed operatives launching simultaneous, sustained attacks," Mr. Kelly told the City Council. The 10 terrorists were believed to have murdered or injured more than 450 people.

The NYPD conducted a tactical drill based on the Mumbai attacks for Emergency Service Unit officers as well as a tabletop exercise for commanders. "We raised the possibility that we might have to deploy our emergency service officers too thinly in the event of multiple simultaneous attacks, such as those in Mumbai," Mr. Kelly said. The department has about 400 officers in ESU, he told the committee.

"We also recognized that if the attacks continued over many hours, we would need to relieve our special units with rested officers. In response to both challenges, we have begun to provide heavy-weapons training to experienced officers in our Organized Crime Control Bureau," the Police Commissioner said. These officers would play a supplementary role in the event of an emergency.

Mr. Kelly said the NYPD took note that the terrorists approached Mumbai from the water, which could also happen here in New York. "For that reason, our Harbor officers are trained in and equipped with automatic weapons," he testified. "They have special authority to board any ships that enter the port."

Not Screening Enough Cargo

Mr. Kelly said, however, that because of the sheer volume of cargo, the NYPD is not able to inspect even five percent of the containers that enter the port. "Right now, we're nowhere near where we should be in cargo screening," he said during questioning. "Ideally, there should be virtually some screening of every cargo that comes into the port."

The Police Commissioner said that since there was no way for the NYPD to inspect every canister that enters the port—even with the help of Federal agencies—the department has begun enlisting the help of about 6,000 private security managers. Intelligence gathered in Mumbai was recently shared with these managers.

Operation Nexus has also been employed to have NYPD Detectives make visits to thousands of companies terrorists might seek to exploit, such as truck rental businesses and hotels. "In Mumbai, the attackers appeared to know their targets better than responding commandos," Mr. Kelly testified. "With this in mind, since the beginning of December, the New York City Police Department has toured several major hotels. Supervisors in our Emergency Services Unit are documenting the walkthroughs on video camera, filming entrances and exits, lobbies, unoccupied guest rooms and banquet halls." The video, he said, would be used as a training tool.

Focus on Heavy-Weapons Drills

Because trained shooters carried out the Mumbai attacks, the NYPD has been preparing its officers to defend against such attacks with heavy weapons training, which started in mid-December for recruits. Heavyweapons training will become a routine part of Police Academy training.

Mr. Kelly said the NYPD has also looked at the use of cell phones and other related technology in a Mumbai style terrorist attack. He said that in the past the department would cut off power to a specific location, but the proliferation of hand-held devices makes that harder today.

"While we have to learn from Mumbai and prepare to defend ourselves against a similar attack, we cannot focus too narrowly on any one preventive method," Mr. Kelly said. "We need to go back to basics, strengthen our defense on every front, stay sharp, well-trained and well-equipped."