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Apr 11, 2008 6:01 am US/Eastern
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NYPD, Secret Service: Unprecedented Pope Security
Protection For Papal Visit Will Be Like U.N. General Assembly, Parade And Presidential Visit Rolled Into 1
Bin Laden's Criticisms Of Pope Haven't Gone Unnoticed
Reporting
Lou Young
NEW YORK (CBS) ―
The New York City Police Department is pulling out all the stops to protect Pope Benedict XVI during his visit to New York next week. From rooftop snipers to hovering helicopters, it will all resemble the security operations used to protect the president.
It's an operation that will involve virtually the entire NYPD. And if you're trying to move around Manhattan when the pope is here, it will affect you, too.
It begins for us next Friday with the papal arrival and a speech at the United Nations right at the start of the business day. As a city, this is when we'll feel the biggest traffic impact because the pope will leave the U.N. and visit both the Park East Synagogue on 67th Street and Fifth Avenue, and St. Joseph's Church on East 87th before retiring to the papal residence on 72nd Street. It will be like several things we've seen before.
"The closer you are to those locations, the more you are going to feel the effects of it," NYPD Commissioner Ray Kelly said.
When asked if will be like a U.N. general assembly followed by a parade followed by a presidential visit, Kelly said, "yes" to laughter.
The weekend begins with a frozen zone around St. Patrick's. You'll need tickets and a security check to get near the Cathedral. Your best chance at seeing the pope if you haven't already made arrangements is to go to the zone above St. Patrick's. He'll be traveling north on Fifth Avenue back up to 72nd Street and then to St. Joseph Seminary in Yonkers. The U.S. Secret Service says crowds will be able to see him drive by.
"From the moment he lands in the United States we will be involved in transportation and the popemobile is here and will be utilized in both Washington D.C. and here in New York," said Brian Carr of the Secret Service.
Security will be something like it was during Pope John Paul II's visit in 1995, with some important differences.
There will be a highly visible uniformed police presence and bomb-sniffing dogs on the streets. There also will be harbor units and scuba divers in the East River and police helicopters overhead.
"Many of these measures have become part and parcel of our protection of New York since Sept. 11," Kelly said. "While we are not aware of any specific threats to the pope during his visit, we are obviously cognizant of the fact that Osama bin Laden in his latest videotape was critical of the pope."
The NYPD, Sercret Service and the Vatican Swiss Guard will all be on security duty when Pope Benedict is in town. Sunday will be the highlight when he goes down to ground zero and up to Yankee Stadium and officials warn the best way to get around will be mass transit.
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