"Unmarked chopper patrols New York City from above"
Police say the chopper's sweeps of landmarks and other potential targets are invaluable in helping guard against another terrorist attack, providing a see-but-avoid-being-seen advantage against bad guys.
To me this just reflects that terrorism is still having an effect on those in power, and paranoia isn't the way to combat it. If this action starts a trend across the nation, God help us. As it even says in the article, the people were spooked during Benedict's visit by a guy with a camera on a building. I understand the need for vigilance in order to avoid another attack (although I find another extremely unlikely at this point in time) but we've passed that marker and may be headed towards 24-hour surveillance of public areas. You'll have to pick your nose in the comfort of your own home! The fancy helicopter is also an invaluable tool for fighting crime that you know is occurring in the streets; take advantage of it for a better purpose.The $10 million helicopter is just part of the department's efforts to adopt cutting-edge technology for its counterterrorism operations.
The NYPD also plans to spend tens of millions of dollars strengthening security in the lower Manhattan business district with a network of closed-circuit television cameras and license-plate readers posted at bridges, tunnels and other entry points.
Police have also deployed hundreds of radiation monitors — some worn on belts like pagers, others mounted on cars and in helicopters — to detect dirty bombs.
Kelly even envisions someday using futuristic "stationary airborne devices" similar to blimps to conduct reconnaissance and guard against chemical, biological and radiological threats.
