Security in New York | The Attaché Desk

For information only. This guide is an editorial orientation resource. It does not constitute security advice and does not replace the guidance of your mission’s or organisation’s security officer. Security situations change; the information here reflects publicly available sources as of the reviewed date. Always follow your mission’s or organisation’s current security procedures.

Overview

New York City is consistently identified by the NYPD and federal law enforcement as one of the highest-priority terrorism targets in the world, by virtue of the density of symbolic targets, the presence of UN headquarters, and the concentration of international diplomatic activity. The city’s counterterrorism infrastructure is correspondingly extensive: the NYPD operates one of the largest and best-resourced local counterterrorism bureaus globally, operating in close coordination with the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF). For diplomatic and UN staff, the security environment is characterised by a high baseline of protective policing rather than routine personal threat.

The US threat framework

Unlike the UK, France, Belgium or Austria, the United States does not publish a single national terrorism threat level that is updated and displayed publicly for the general population. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the FBI issue targeted bulletins and advisories for specific sectors, events or threat categories, but there is no equivalent of the UK’s MI5 SEVERE/SUBSTANTIAL scale or France’s Vigipirate displayed as a public indicator.

The NYPD maintains its own threat assessment process through the Terrorism Threat Analysis Group, which performs strategic intelligence analysis and disseminates it to the department, the private sector, and law enforcement partners. The NYPD works within the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force for the New York City metropolitan area.

NYPD counterterrorism infrastructure

The NYPD Counterterrorism Bureau is the lead operational unit:

Critical Response Command (CRC): permanent cadre of officers trained for the most organised and heavily armed attacks; equipped with long-range weapons, explosive trace detection, and CBRN awareness tools.
Domain Awareness System (DAS): joint NYPD-Microsoft platform aggregating CCTV footage, licence plate readers, environmental sensors and 911 data across the city.
JTTF: NYPD detectives embedded within the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force provide real-time intelligence sharing between city and federal levels.

The NYPD surges visible security resources around the UN complex, major diplomatic residences, and cultural and religious sites during periods of elevated global tension, particular ahead of and during the UN General Assembly.

Significant incidents

New York has experienced several terrorist attacks in recent decades:

September 11, 2001: Al-Qaeda hijacked aircraft attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon killed nearly 3,000 people. The rebuilding of Lower Manhattan has continued since, with the World Trade Center site now including One World Trade Center (the tallest building in the Western Hemisphere), the National September 11 Memorial and Museum, and Oculus transit hub.

September 17, 2016: An individual inspired by al-Qaeda detonated a pressure cooker bomb in Chelsea, Manhattan, injuring 30 people. Seven additional unexploded devices were subsequently recovered. The attacker was apprehended within 48 hours.

October 31, 2017: An ISIS-inspired individual drove a rental truck along the West Side Highway bicycle path near Ground Zero, killing 8 people and injuring 12. This attack prompted security improvements to the bike path infrastructure along the Hudson River corridor.

December 11, 2017: An ISIS-inspired individual detonated a homemade explosive device at the Port Authority Bus Terminal subway station in Midtown, injuring 3 people and himself.

Since 2017, the NYPD and FBI have disrupted a significant number of additional plots before they reached the operational stage. The NYPD’s intelligence-led approach and the JTTF partnership are credited with the absence of a major successful attack since 2017.

UNGA season: the annual security peak

The United Nations General Debate, held annually in September, brings heads of state and government from all 193 UN member states to New York. This is the most significant annual security and logistics event in the city. During UNGA week (typically the third and fourth weeks of September):

The security perimeter around the UN complex on First Avenue is dramatically expanded
Major streets in Midtown East are closed or restricted, including sections of First and Second Avenues, 42nd to 48th Streets, and surrounding blocks
The NYPD deploys thousands of additional officers across the Midtown and East Side area
Traffic gridlock in Midtown reaches its annual peak; the NYC Department of Transportation typically designates multiple gridlock alert days
Helicopter activity over the East River and Midtown increases significantly

For mission staff resident in New York: UNGA week requires planning. Subway travel is heavily recommended over driving. If you live in the East 40s-60s near mission premises, expect reduced access to your immediate area. Your mission will have specific security protocols for UNGA that supersede general guidance.

Everyday security

Terrorism and high-profile crime. The areas where most diplomatic and UN mission staff live and work, including the Upper East Side, Turtle Bay, the East 40s-70s, and the Upper West Side, are among the most intensively policed areas of the city and have low violent crime rates. Standard awareness applies in tourist-concentrated areas (Times Square, Grand Central, Penn Station) and the subway at late hours.

Subway safety. Subway crime has been an elevated concern since 2020. The NYPD maintains a significant officer presence on platforms and trains, and the MTA has expanded safety measures. The risk is primarily one of opportunistic crime rather than targeted threat. Keep belongings secure, be aware of your surroundings on platforms, and use well-lit, busy stations at night.

Street crime. Midtown and the Upper East Side have low rates of violent street crime. As in any major city, do not display expensive items visibly, particularly in areas with higher foot traffic. The situation in outer boroughs and parts of the outer Bronx and Brooklyn that are distant from the diplomatic residential cluster is materially different; consult your mission’s security officer for any areas outside the main residential cluster.

Emergency contacts in New York City

Number	Service
911	Police, fire, ambulance (emergencies)
311	Non-emergency city services
1-888-NYC-SAFE	Anti-terrorism tip line (confidential)

The Notify NYC programme provides free emergency notifications via app, email, text and telephone. Register at nyc.gov/notifynyc or via the free Notify NYC mobile app.

Official sources

Last reviewed 6 July 2026.