Common Sense: Keeping us safe
There certainly is no one in New York City who needed the events in Paris last week to remind them that the world, especially the world within big international cities, remains a very dangerous place. Whereas many European and Asian cities have had numerous devastating terrorist attacks over the past decade, New York since 9/11 has not.
This is no small part due to the efforts of the NYPD and policies that allowed for heightened surveillance that are no longer in force. In fact, regardless of the rhetoric to the contrary, changes in policies as well as fewer police being available for anti-terrorist activities have increased the risk of a successful attack on our city. And we continue to slide in the wrong direction.
Early on in the administration of Mayor de Blasio, changes were made that reduced surveillance, and undercover efforts in locations and with groups that had been identified by law enforcement on a local as well as federal level to present or harbor possible threats.