The New York Police Department operates one of the largest municipal law enforcement intelligence bureaus in the United States, with officers stationed around the world, including in the Middle East.
Rebecca Weiner, the deputy commissioner of intelligence and counterterrorism, oversees the bureau. At its 15 outposts, 12 of which are abroad, officers in the international liaison unit are gathering information about potential threats to New York City following the U.S.-Israeli attacks in Iran, according to an internal police document. So far, the bureau has not identified any specific or credible threats.
But the airstrikes in the Middle East have prompted heightened security measures in New York, the country’s biggest city, which is home to large Jewish and Muslim communities and is a frequent site of mass protests. On Saturday, the Police Department said it enhanced its patrol presence at sensitive locations, including diplomatic and religious sites.
Ms. Weiner, a 20-year Police Department veteran and former legal counsel at the bureau who oversees about 1,500 officers and civilian intelligence analysts, brings a deep knowledge of the region to her role, having also served as team leader for the Middle East and North Africa.
In an interview on Saturday with CBS News, she said the city had been in a “heightened threat environment” since June, after President Trump ordered U.S. warplanes to aid Israel’s attacks on Iranian nuclear facilities.
“This is definitely an escalation,” she said of the recent strikes. “As long as we’re in a heightened threat, we’re going to have enhanced deployments, patrol resources, specialized resources, the help of partners. And we’re going to see over the coming days how what’s happening overseas impacts our city.”
Since the attacks, senior intelligence officers stationed at Police Department outposts in Tel Aviv; Amman, Jordan; Doha, Qatar; and Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, have worked with local law enforcement agencies in those cities to confirm reports of casualties, missile strikes and damage to U.S. facilities, according to the document.
Those officers report that information directly to Ms. Weiner and other top police officials, including Jessica S. Tisch, the police commissioner, who is frequently briefed on developments in the Middle East.
The Police Department ramped up its efforts to gather intelligence on gun and drug trafficking and other terrorism or transnational threats abroad following the attacks on Sept. 11, 2001. The international liaison unit was created in 2003.
Chelsia Rose Marcius is a criminal justice reporter for The Times, covering the New York Police Department.
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