Pope Francis, UN meeting raise security concerns

Pope Francis will arrive in New York in less than two weeks, at the same time that the U.N. General Assembly will be meeting. The pope attracts large crowds and is expected to do so again in New York.

News 12 Staff

Sep 15, 2015, 6:09 AM

Updated 3,430 days ago

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Pope Francis will arrive in New York in less than two weeks, at the same time that the U.N. General Assembly will be meeting.
The pope attracts large crowds and is expected to do so again in New York. Meanwhile, approximately 170 world leaders will converge in Manhattan for the U.N. meeting. The events are expected to cause major traffic detours and transportation delays.
Beyond those concerns, city leaders have been working to address potential security threats. New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio and NYPD Commissioner Bill Bratton spoke to the media Monday about the scope of their plans.
The NYPD, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Secret Service and Coast Guard are some of the agencies that are expected to work together on security.
"It will involve many tools and many measures you can see," said de Blasio. "It will involve many measures you can't see, but it will all add up to an extraordinary effort that will protect all involved."
The pope, who is expected to arrive in New York on Sept. 24, will address world leaders at the U.N. the next day.
Analysts believe that his other activities in New York, such as his procession through Central Park and visit to an East Harlem school, will pose greater security risks than his U.N. visit.
More than 93,000 people entered a ticket lottery to see the pope when he rides through the park.
The mayor said Monday that the act of scalping those free tickets for thousands of dollars was "disgusting" and "absolutely inconsistent" with the pope's beliefs.