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November 9, 2007
Pols want Atlantic Yards security review
The Brooklyn Paper
By Mike McLaughlin
On Wednesday, eight Brooklyn Democrats announced that they had sent a letter to Gov. Spitzer and Mayor Bloomberg asking for a security analysis in the wake of developments in Newark, N.J., where local cops decided — at the “eleventh hour,” the lawmakers said — to close off several streets to protect that city’s new glass-walled arena.
The Brooklyn lawmakers said they don’t want to be surprised by potentially major disturbances like street closings of Atlantic and Flatbush avenues.
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“[The security review] should be strictly independent of the Empire State Development Corporation (ESDC) to avoid any semblance of conflict of interest,” the letter added, referring to the state agency that is the development partner at Atlantic Yards.
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“Our counterterrorism experts have examined the Atlantic Yards plans and they have met with those involved with its design and planned construction,” the spokesman, Paul Browne, told the New York Times. “They have been cooperative and receptive to NYPD recommendations, which did not require street closings.”He declined to offer further details, telling the Times that the NYPD does not discuss “any vulnerabilities we’ve identified.”
Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz puts his trust in Ratner (because the developer has such a great track record in the community?):
“I said this early on, and am confident that developer Forest City Ratner is taking the proper steps in working closely with the NYPD and other relevant security agencies in ensuring the project adheres to the highest standards of safety.”
NoLandGrab: So far, none of the spokespersons for NYPD, ESDC or Forest City Ratner have gone as far as to make the claim that “any vulnerabilities [the NYPD] identified” have actually been addressed. By not publicly discussing security issues, the implication is that these vulnerabilities remain and therefore must be preserved as state secrets.
Posted by lumi at November 9, 2007 5:54 AM