One hundred NYPD officers assigned to the department’s Critical Response Command were deployed for the first time on Monday to help protect New York City from acts of terrorism. The new command will have more than 500 officers and eight canines dedicated to counterterrorism. At least 100 officers will be on duty at any given time to protect the city against terrorism.

Mayor de Blasio and Police Commissioner Bratton addressed the officers, who all volunteered for the assignment, prior to today’s deployment.

“I encourage you to be vigilant,” said Police Commissioner Bratton as he addressed officers. “I encourage you at all times to be professional. I encourage you at all times to understand the significant responsibilities you have agreed to accept, first upon taking your oath of office as a New York City police officer and now in this new assignment – this critical assignment.”

FULL TEXT OF COMMISSIONER BRATTON’S REMARKS:

Commissioner William Bratton, NYPD: Thank you.

Good afternoon. It’s great to look out at you and be here for the first tour of duty that you are going to perform in your new capacity: Critical Response Command – replacing the Critical Response Vehicle Initiative that was created shortly after 9/11 to supplement the 600 men and women of the Emergency Service Unit, who are our first line of critical defense against terrorist-related actions.

You now, over this period of time, have received additional training, and in the weeks and months ahead will receive more training, additional equipment that will allow you to do the job for which you have volunteered. And I want to thank you for volunteering for this assignment.

Eventually, there will be about 560 of you. A little later this afternoon, I will be addressing 180 of your colleagues at the old Police Academy, who are going through the training that you have just completed. They will be graduating in several weeks and joining you on the streets of New York.

Over the next several days, you will also be issued the smartphone devices that will be such a significant part of your counterterrorism responsibility, keeping you updated to the moment on changing patterns, trends, and threat analysis. Additionally, you will all be receiving training on the long guns and the heavy vest equipment that you will be outfitted with going forward. In addition, we will be acquiring the new explorer-type vehicles that will be part of your standard vehicle package.

You are a work in progress. We estimate by January 1st, as we move toward New Year’s Eve, you will be fully up and running for that event – the first major event that you all – 500-sum-odd of you – will be involved in.

The world is changing even as we stand here. The world changed dramatically over the weekend. And the assignment for which you have volunteered – that assignment – there is now no more essential assignment in the world of policing, in the NYPD than that assignment. That threat is growing and morphing in new and dangerous directions, as evidenced by the events in Paris. We will endeavor to keep you trained, to keep you equipped, to keep you focused – to protect this city, to protect each other, to protect the citizens of New York and the 59 million visitors who come here each year to enjoy all that this city has to offer.

I encourage you to be vigilant. I encourage you at all times to be professional. I encourage you at all times to understand the significant responsibilities you have agreed to accept, first upon taking your oath of office as a New York City police officer and now in this new assignment – this critical assignment.

And we are very fortunate that the planning we began over a year ago to create this unit – you are coming into being at just the right time, as the threat picture has changed so dramatically, and the threat picture that is changing and evolving is one that you are being prepared to meet, to deter – and if it were to in fact occur, that you will be equipped to go into harm’s way and equipped in a way to protect yourselves, protect each other, and to protect the citizens of this great city.

Thank you for volunteering for this assignment, and I look forward to seeing you on the streets of New York in the days and weeks ahead.

With that, I would like to introduce the Commanding Officer of our Counterterrorism Bureau, Chief James Waters, who has been so instrumental in creating this new command.

We have been very heavily engaged in the modernization of this facility behind me, which will be your new home, your new headquarters. I want to thank the mayor and the administration for the tremendous amount of funding that is being put into this endeavor, both to remodel this facility; all the equipment that you will be utilizing; the amount of training that you have already received; the additional training that you will be receiving in the months ahead. But behind it all is Chief Waters, with his many years of experience – first under Commissioner Kelly and now under myself. And the expertise that he brings to this assignment is second to none.

(YWN Desk – NYC)