NY/NJ Port Authority Prepares for Holiday Weekend

Dec. 30, 2016

The Port Authority Police Department (PAPD) will be employing increased security measures and additional patrols across all Port Authority facilities this holiday weekend to ensure the safety and security of those using agency airports, bridges, tunnels, terminals and the PATH system.

In response to concerns about recent acts of terrorism worldwide, the added security measures are designed to provide an extra layer of protection for travelers this weekend, as well as New Year’s celebrants.

Among the security enhancements planned for the duration of the holiday weekend:

  • Emergency Service Unit strike teams equipped with tactical weapons will conduct random anti-terrorism patrols at various Port Authority facilities.
  • PAPD counterterrorism measures also include the presence of armored vehicles and K-9 explosives detection teams at Port Authority facilities.
  • Increased random bag and train checks throughout the PATH system and at the air trains at Kennedy and Newark Liberty airports.
  • Increased commercial vehicle inspections at Port Authority Hudson River tunnel and bridge crossings, and increased radiation detection capabilities across agency assets.

The PAPD will be working with the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force and the New York City Police Department, as well as other law-enforcement agencies in New York and New Jersey, to ensure the safest possible holiday weekend for area travelers and revelers.