Inside NYPD’s ‘massive’ security operation for UN General Assembly amid protests

Throughout the past week, New Yorkers braced for traffic standstills and headaches around Midtown Manhattan as the culminating week of the United Nations General Assembly got underway. Meanwhile, members of the New York City Police Department were focused on securing the event as more than 130 world dignitaries came and went.

“It’s a massive operation, a massive undertaking,” Tarik Sheppard, deputy commissioner of NYPD’s Public Information said. “We have a lot of cops and detectives out there assigned, and it’s just something that when it’s over, you’re just proud to be a part of – because it is one of the biggest world events that we have.”

Sheppard gave Fox News an exclusive, behind-the-scenes look at the NYPD’s Joint Operations Center, where officers monitor several of the city’s camera systems and then deploy officers on the ground when an emergency response is needed.

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The New York Police Department gave Fox News an exclusive look at its Joint Operations Center, where federal agencies joined NYPD officers to ensure the safety of more than 130 world leaders for the U.N. General Assembly. (Fox News/CB Cotton)

Last week, NYPD officers at the center were joined by members of the Secret Service, FBI, Homeland Security and the White House Military Office.

“So we’re partnered up and linked together… just in case something happens [so] the messaging can be in unison,” Sheppard said.

In addition to safely securing the arrival and departure of diplomats and U.S. leaders, the Joint Operations Center was also closely monitoring protest activity to ensure that everyday residents didn’t have an additional hindrance to commutes already disrupted by the United Nations gathering. 

NYPD officers stand guard during a rally for Gaza at the Consulate General of Israel on Oct. 9, 2023, in New York City. (Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)

“It’s the perception of what’s happening out there that we have to battle because they [protesters] are filming their videos saying,’No, we’re so peaceful,’” Sheppard said. “They’re not showing you at times the criminal mischief, the destruction of property, the blocking in the roadways where the average citizen is just trying to get home or pick their child up – them being delayed for an hour two can really be disruptive to families and cause major, major issues.” 

NYPD officers block activists protesting outside the Federal Reserve Bank of New York in the Financial District of New York City, Sept. 18, 2023. (Reuters/Bing Guan/File Photo)

Since the start of the Israel-Hamas war, the NYPD has monitored upwards of 4,000 protests, according to the NYPD’s Chief of Patrol John Chell, who shared some of the department’s strategy for securing the United Nations during a news conference earlier this month. 

The conflict in Gaza arose at the U.N. last week. As speeches from both Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanayahu and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas got underway, protesters gathered nearby intending to disrupt the gathering – without success.

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“The important thing is to remember to respect people’s First Amendment rights; however, we’re not going to allow crimes to be committed,” Sheppard said.