Todays Threats

NYPD Counterterrorism Unit Ramps Up For Popes Visit To New York

Posted: 16 Apr 2008 01:06 AM CDT

As one might imagine, security is extremely tight in both Washington D.C. and New York City. With Pope Benedict XVI’s much-anticipated landing Tuesday at Maryland’s Andrews Air Force Base, the NYPD has already begun beefing up its police presence underground.

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Over the course of the pontiff’s three-day visit, the NYPD will have round-the-clock coverage of high-profile MTA stops starting as soon as the pope arrives in the city. Officers will take a peek inside every train that comes through the station.

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Besides watching closely what’s happening below the city streets, the NYPD will be watching closely what’s happening on the streets. Police will be using hand-held sensors to check for radiation and chemical presence under trucks and vehicles, and random spot checks will be executed at many busy city intersections.

Needless to say, the NYPD counterterrorism unit is ramping up. The mobile radiation detection unit has 360-degree capability, and will be located all over the city, watching cars as they go past “choke points.”

“It’s extremely sensitive, not sensitive to the point where we are going to inconvenience people, but we will know when something is there,” Counterterrorism Unit Inspector Brendan Sheerin said of the radiation detector. “Every day we will move this. Twice a day, in the morning and the afternoon to different locations.”

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Bomb Maker Dies In House Explosion - Puyallup Washington

Posted: 15 Apr 2008 06:26 PM CDT

The Pierce County sheriff’s office says a 26-year-old man who was making a bomb died in an explosion and fire that destroyed a home in Puyallup.

A body was found in the rubble.

“We’re finding pieces 75-100 feet away,” said spokesman Ed Troyer.

Troyer said the man - a registered sex offender - had rented a room in the home from a couple.

When the couple came home at around midnight, they saw their roomate, who they say had been acting paranoid lately, with a cache of bombs and explosive materials.

The couple called 911.

“He grabbed the duffel bags and went upstairs. We got the people outside of the house,” said Ed Troyer of the Pierce County Sheriff’s Dept. “Shortly after there was a large explosion, which engulfed the whole entire house and took off the top floor.”

“He either accidentally or intentionally set the explosion off, which took the whole top floor off of the residence and engulfed the house in flames,” Troyer said. “Our deputies were standing 75 to 100 yards away. It drenched our deputies in beauty bark and dirt.”

Investigators say the bags contained shrapnel-packed, homemade explosives.

Source -KING5

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Suspicious Truck Under Investigation In Boston

Posted: 15 Apr 2008 05:58 PM CDT

Authorities are investigating a suspicious truck that was discovered leaking.

There were no permits for the truck that listed it had anything inside it that could leak.

The truck was last in the possession of two Saudi Arabian men who are now believed to be in New York City. The truck was to be shipped to Saudi Arabia.

The truck last came from the Chuckran Junkyard in Bridgewater, where there was a four-alarm fire Tuesday night.

The truck was found filled with auto parts. It is believed the truck was involved in a stolen auto parts ring.

The Governor’s Auto Theft Task Force is investigating.

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Operation Sudden Impact Leads To Several Arrests

Posted: 15 Apr 2008 11:21 AM CDT


Federal agencies raided several Memphis businesses in a coordinated effort to find information about possible terrorism ties. Law-enforcement agencies in Tennessee, Mississippi and Arkansas participated the an anti-crime and anti-terrorism initiative that involved officers from more than 50 federal, state and local agencies.

Called “Operation Sudden Impact,” the initiative had officers from six counties rounding up fugitives, conducting traffic checkpoints and doing other crime-abatement programs from 7 a.m. Saturday through 7 a.m. Sunday.

The FBI along with hundreds of officers said they were looking for anything out of the ordinary and agents apparently seized computers and paperwork from at least some of the businesses.

While some business owners feel they are being targeted, law-enforcement officers said they are just trying to track down possible terrorists before something big happens.

“What we have found traditionally is that terrorists are involved in a number of lesser known type crimes,” said Mark Luttrell, Shelby County sheriff.

The U.S. Coast Guard in Memphis was also a part of Saturday’s round-up, checking a boat on the river.

“We look at everything, the safety of the tow boat in general. We also check out the crew members, just to make sure there is nobody hiding out on the tow boat, felons, criminals etc.,” says Lt. Timothy Martin of the U.S. Coast Guard in Memphis.

They say sharing information and building relationships is a big step in fighting back against those intent on harm.

The complete results of the operation, from all the counties won’t be in until Monday, April 14.

The Sheriff’s Department says that altogether 332 people were arrested, 142 of whom are considered fugitives. No word on how many of those arrested may actually have ties to terrorism.

All crime-related information will be forwarded to the State of Tennessee’s Homeland Security Center in Nashville to see if there are possible ties to terrorism.

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