New York, NY – NYPD Has No Heightened Alert for Passover Holiday

New York, NY – The NYPD commissioner told Jewish leaders that while the city remains a prime terrorist target, there have been no specific threats related to the holiday of Passover, which begins next week.
“This year, we have no cause for a heightened alert during the Passover season,” Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly said at a meeting at police headquarters.

As a precaution, the police department will step up patrols in Jewish communities and around places of worship. “In short, we are paying attention,” Kelly said.
Citing recent reports that suspected Sept. 11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed also plotted to attack the Empire State Building and bomb the city’s suspension bridges, Kelly warned that the city as a whole must stay vigilant. “We know we can never let our guard down,” he said. [amny]