The NYPD will be on high alert this week and weekend for both the 9/11 commemoration ceremony and the Jewish High Holidays, officials said Wednesday.
Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said there will be a larger police presence surrounding the 25th anniversary commemoration ceremony of 9/11 than in previous years. She also said police officers will be deployed to synagogues, yeshivas and other sensitive locations throughout the city during the Jewish High Holidays this weekend.
“Whether New Yorkers are gathered Friday morning to remember those we lost 25 years ago or entering a synagogue that evening to welcome the new year, they should know that the NYPD will be there," Tisch said.
Tisch urged New Yorkers to avoid driving around Downtown Manhattan on Friday due to significant street closures related to the ceremony.
According to Tisch, New Yorkers will see a “massive security operation” in place throughout Lower Manhattan during the 25th anniversary ceremony on Friday.
“ That operation reflects both the significance of the 25th anniversary and the attendance of dignitaries, former presidents and other senior officials,” Tisch said.
The NYPD will work alongside the U.S. Secret Service as well as state and local partners to secure the memorial site and keep attendees safe, she said.
“ There will be layers of security that are highly visible and others that the public will not see. New Yorkers can expect to see uniformed officers throughout the area, along with members of our Counterterrorism Bureau heavy weapons teams and other specialized resources deployed as part of the operation,” Tisch said. “Our counter-drone teams will also be deployed in Lower Manhattan as another layer of security around the commemoration.”
New Yorkers should also expect significant traffic and pedestrian restrictions throughout Lower Manhattan, Tisch said, including security fencing installed by the Secret Service on the east side of the West Side Highway from Liberty Street to Fulton Street, and the perimeter of the 9/11 memorial.
Meanwhile, Tisch said there are no specific, credible threats directed at High Holiday celebrations in New York City, but the NYPD is remaining vigilant through the weekend in light of an increase in hate crimes committed against Jewish New Yorkers.
“ Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur are solemn days of reflection and of renewal. This year, they also come at a time of heightened concern for Jewish New Yorkers,” Tisch said. “Even as shootings and murders have fallen to historic lows, hate crimes are moving in the wrong direction.”
Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish new year, starts on Saturday.
According to the NYPD, confirmed hate crimes citywide are up 16% this year, and antisemitic hate crimes are up 9%. Tisch said more than half of all confirmed hate crimes in New York City have targeted Jewish New Yorkers, even though Jews make up only about 10% of the city's population.
Police officers will be deployed to dedicated houses of worship through the weekend, and precinct commanders and community affairs officers will work with institutional leaders to develop security plans tailored to their communities, Tisch said.
Mayor Zohran Mamdani said the city will use “every single tool” at its disposal to keep Jewish New Yorkers safe.
“Any act of antisemitism is unacceptable,” said Mamdani. “And what we say to Jewish New Yorkers is that whether it be for the High Holidays or whether it be for any day, that it is our responsibility to ensure that they are safe.”
