Pope Francis Visit, UN General Assembly Present Security Challenge For NYPD
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- Pope Francis' visit to New York City next month will coincide with the UN General Assembly.
That means a slew of security concerns, WCBS 880's Peter Haskell reported.
"I'm loading up on the Excedrin already for that visit," police Commissioner Bill Bratton joked.
NYPD Ramping Up Security For Pope Francis Visit, UN General Assembly
"It will be for us probably one of the most significant challenges as we and our federal colleagues -- it is a federal event, the security," the commissioner added.
The pope will arrive at JFK Airport on Sept. 24 and attend evening prayer at St. Patrick's Cathedral. The next day, he will address the General Assembly, host an interfaith service at the National September 11 Memorial & Museum, visit a school in East Harlem and celebrate Mass at Madison Square Garden.
The UN General Assembly is expected to draw 160 world leaders. Bratton said traveling around Manhattan will be a problem.
Police are also preparing for the possibility of Francis, widely viewed as a pope of and for the people, walking along the barriers of city streets.
"He has made it quite clear in his travels around the world that he wants to interact with the public in a way in which we are not used to having public figures deal with the public, and that's going to be a challenge for us," Bratton said.
The pope will also visit Washington, D.C., and Philadelphia.
