The NYPD's Secret Anti-Terrorism Equipment: Traffic Cones?

NYPD, via Animal New York
Adam Martin 493 Views May 13, 2011

In what one city official called a "knucklehead" move, a New York Police Department employee apparently tossed out a sensitive document outlining deployment specifics for the department's Chemical Ordinance, Biological, Radiological Awareness (COBRA) task force. The eight-page document found in a trash can by Animal New York seems, at first blush, to be a red-hot bit of police intelligence--it does scream "LAW ENFORCEMENT SENSITIVE"  on the front--but if you read it closely, it's all fairly boring stuff about teams of officers getting ready for traffic checkpoints that have already happened. Here are some highlights (lowlights?):

Top secret equipment: Both teams of nine officers will be assigned traffic vests, cones, and flares, as well as radiation detectors, and must pass an inspection of personal protective equipment (bulletproof vests and utility belt).

Top secret schedule: They worked on Wednesday at 42nd Street and 8th Ave.

Top secret activity log: Empty

Top secret location: In and around Times Square.

Top secret vehicle indicators: This is actually pretty interesting and potentially sensitive stuff. Cops are told to look for exposed wires, new or broken welds, suspicious patches of dirt, suspiciously clean bolts or other components, and lots more.

Top secret personal indicators: Yawning? Really?

Top secret intelligence: Part of the very general intelligence summary from February includes a news report from ABC.

Want to add to this story? Let us know in comments or send an email to the author at amartin at theatlantic dot com. You can share ideas for stories on the Open Wire.

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