As Marathon Preparation Continues, NYPD Finds Itself On Alert After Killing Of Iowa Officers
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- Local police departments are on alert and monitoring developments in Iowa after two Des Moines area officers were killed early Wednesday in what authorities said were ambush-style attacks.
The NYPD said it does not believe there is any New York connection to the Iowa shootings, but said it is warning officers to stay alert.
"Reminding them to back one another up, to stay alert out there, that these incidents can happen so just to keep the alert on high," Chief of Patrol Terry Monahan said Wednesday at an unrelated news conference.
Police Commissioner James O'Neill said shootings like the ones in Iowa are something all officers are "concerned about every day."
"Our hearts go out to the police officers that were murdered in Iowa and to their families," he said.
Our prayers are with the families and colleagues of the officers killed in the line of duty in the Des Moines area of Iowa. #NeverForget
— NYPD NEWS (@NYPDnews) November 2, 2016
The Nassau County Police Department also issued a statement saying there will be intensified patrols in areas of public gatherings and near critical infrastructure in the wake of the Iowa shootings.
Police in Suffolk County said they, too, are closely monitoring the situation in Iowa and added that while there is no credible threat, the department will "implement enhanced measures to ensure officer safety" out of an abundance of caution.
As CBS2's Andrea Grymes reported, the NYPD put out a message remindering officers to "remain aware of their surroundings both on and off duty." It also asks cops when not assigned to "make every effort to respond to the locations of other officers on assignment, providing backup and site security."
This all comes as the NYPD gears up for Sunday's New York City Marathon.
O'Neill promises that the marathon will be one of the most well-policed, best-protected events in the nation.
"We're ready for Sunday," O'Neill said.
The department says it will have eyes in the sky, in the water and, of course, on land, with thousands of uniformed cops along the route. Specially trained plainclothes cops will be mixed in with the crowds, and heavy weapons teams will also be on patrol, as well as 30 explosive-detection K9s.
"I'm not too concerned, but the thought's always there," one marathon runner said.
The NYPD says it's preparing for more than 50,000 runners and 2.5 million spectators across the five boroughs. They're asking everyone to be on alert, and, as always, if you see something, say something.
The Des Moines area officers were shot and killed while sitting in their patrol cars early Wednesday. Police said they captured a suspect hours later.
The National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund says 10 people have killed in the line of duty across the country since last Monday, making this one of the darkest weeks for law enforcement in recent memory.
In December 2014, NYPD officers Wenjian Liu and Rafael Ramos were both shot to death while sitting in their cruiser in Brooklyn.