NEW YORK — There's always a pretty big police presence in New York City, especially near landmarks and popular spots.
But as you would imagine, security is stepped up even more than normal, as Saturday marks 20 years since the 9/11 attacks.
Gov. Kathy Hochul paid a visit to 1 Police Plaza, the headquarters for the New York City Police Department, on Friday. She said there is no specific threat against the city, but there are more officers carrying long guns, and more with K-9s.
The governor was joined by city leaders, as well as the U.S. Homeland Security Secretary. The goal is to show vigilance and hopefully let New Yorkers know the city and state are on guard.
"I just want to alert New Yorkers you will see an increased presence," Hochul said. "We've deployed more resources for the Port Authority, the MTA. You'll see more people. You'll see individuals with long arms. You'll see them looking a little bit militarized."
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"And I want to let them know that we feel very confident at this very moment after assessing our threats, that we will be able to handle the events of this weekend and welcome people from around the world to come to this place of reflection to think about what it means and how New York came back after that horrific day."
Ahead of Saturday's ceremonies, there was a big crowd near the 9/11 memorial, complete with bagpipes and the New York Police Department's color guard.
This was an opportunity for some people to come to pay their respects since the events on Saturday are reserved for family members of victims.
Among those, there is a family from Western New York, whose loved one died at the World Trade Center 20 years ago. A few dozen relatives are in New York for the services.