July 1, 2007
NYC Airports on Alert After Glasgow Attack
With Britain at its top terror alert level after a flaming SUV crashed into Scotland's Glasgow Airport yesterday, New York City has stepped up security at area airports. Port Authority spokesman Steve Coleman (the PA oversees JFK, LaGuardia and Newark airpots) said, there were "increased security measures" in place.
Notably, many more police officers from the NYPD and Port Authority PD, as well as National Guard, were stationed in and near the airports. It took some motorists 20 minutes to enter JFK, because police were pulling over cars for inspection. As it happened, two people were arrested at LaGuardia for failing to declare weapons - we can't believe people are still doing that!
And just now, a suspicious package was found at Kennedy's Terminal 9, which caused a partial evacuation of the terminal. The bomb squad is on the way.
Update:
Unrelated, but related in the NYPD-on-alert way, a van was found under the West Side Highway, near 68th Street. The police closed access to Riverside Park South from the street and closed the bike path while they investigated.
Photograph of Port Authority police yesterday at Kennedy Airport by Rick Maiman/AP
|
The "suspicious package" at JFK undoubtedly will turn out to be someone's forgotten lunch bag.
Dropped mom off at LGA this morning at around nine for her flight home to Minneapolis. No more than the usual level of police activity visible from the street at Terminal B. Some lines for curbside check-in (have we never heard of carry-on, people?).