NYPD, FBI Complete Queens Terror Drill Exercise

Officers stop an approaching a vehicle during an exercise conducted by the NYPD and federal agencies to test the city's ability to detect, intercept and diffuse radiological or nuclear devices in New York. Photograph from the NYPD

The multi-agency—including the NYPD and FBI—terror drill that was conducted in Queens over the past few nights was deemed a success by Police Commissioner Ray Kelly. He told the AP, "We plan for the worst with the best exercises possible. This one was realistic — at night, in the rain, with traffic. We put our personnel to the test and they performed well." The exercise involved hundreds of police officers and federal agents, who were on the hunt for a radiological device.

As part of the drill, the NYPD set up a "radiological dragnet," using various radiation detectors to find the materials before the device was to be detonated. The device was traveling in Queens, which meant the NYPD had to close lanes and inspect cars, ultimately finding a red SUV that had a mock device designed by the Department of Energy to emit safe levels of neutrons (there were technicians protecting it in the SUV, too). The drill annoyed some motorists; one driver told the Daily News, "This is a lot of taxpayers' money to have to wait even longer to get home. I'm tired. I had a long day. I thought there was a serious accident." Another photograph of the NYPD drill after the jump.

The NYPD also put safe amounts of radioactive materials in five test cars for the officers to find in a separate test—those were all intercepted on different bridges. FBI counterterrorism supervisor Don Alway told the AP, "Hopefully, we'll never have to do this. But if we do, we have to do it right the first time."

An NYPD officer uses a device to detect nuclear emissions as he inspects a vehicle believed to contain a mock nuclear device, in New York. Photograph from the NYPD

Contact the author of this article or email tips@gothamist.com with further questions, comments or tips.

By Jen Chung in News on June 12, 2009 9:35 AM

Comments [rss]

Potty Boy

I don't understand. How was this drill different than a normal police checkpoint, except maybe, 3 times slower? So, what? A few cops learn how to stop traffic? And another handful learns how to wave around the nuclear equivalent of a metal detector wand?

NannyState

A "radiological device" in Queens? Did my dentist start treating cancer?

Qraymond

This actually seems like time and money well-spent. Certainly a far more productive exercise than "randomly" searching people's bags in the subway which in my opinion is neither effective nor Constitutional.

Training our agencies to find and disarm a WMD in America's largest city should be pretty high up on the list of priorities-- especially compared to the DHS pork that was being doled out to rural states to protect "targets" that no terrorist would ever bother attacking.

So yeah, I'm glad they're doing this.

longacre

The nuke was being driven around by white guys? Was this drill designed by the same crew who created the mythical "German terrorists" for the film version of The Sum of All Fears?

Steven

About the quoted driver...When should have they done this then? How about doing it during rush hour on a Friday.

TrippinJoJo

do they know something that WE should know about and prepare ourselves?

have they done something like this before? inquiring minds would like to know.

barryap

Completely pointless exercise. A slow painful death from a dirty bomb is preferable to a continuing existence in Fresh Meadows.

UnrepentantFenian

Good point. Though I'm sure no terrorist worth his virgins would detonate a device in Queens as I'm sure nobody would notice / care. Queens is some place you drive through to get somewhere else. Kinda like Staten Island.

matunga

would you rather have them busting kids for smoking pot? Time well spent, I believe.

to you above: this is a drill to protect your yuppie asses from disaster. Should they not practice?

To the driver quoted in the article (the cranky person who wanted to get home):

F. U. So you are inconvenienced as they practice to save your life so your fat ass can get your daily mcdonalds fill.

SuburbanAntiChrist

"This one was realistic — at night, in the rain, with traffic"

Uhhh, yeah, it looks like it was pouring.

Remember If You See Something, Say Something - Fear Is Your Bestest Pal, Ever!

Tangaroo

Yeah I loved that quote...do you think they specifically looked at the weather forecast and picked the shittiest weather week ever to conduct this? If so, that's brilliant - the high-level equivalent of speeding in the rain so that a cop would be forced to pull you over and exit his vehicle and get soaking wet!

Peter

Panty piddling paranoia. Everyone repeat after me:

The War on Terrorism is over.

We won.

Osama Bin Laden is dead.

al-Qaeda has been destroyed.

The War on Terrorism is over.

We won.

End of discussion.