Criticism
Park Row, historically a four-lane artery linking the financial district to Chinatown, has been closed to civilian traffic since 2001. the NYPD asserts that this is necessary to protect its headquarters from a truck bomb attack. Chinatown residents are increasingly frustrated at the disruption caused by the closure of the vital thoroughfare, especially nearby residents. People who live nearby argue that the police department has placed a choke hold on an entire neighborhood and that if One Police Plaza is such an obvious terrorist target, perhaps it should be moved from a residential area. Members of the Civic Center Residents Coalition have been fighting the security perimeter around the building for years.
Paul J. Browne, the NYPD's chief spokesman, said police headquarters will not be moving despite the numerous complaints from residents. He said the department had tried to alleviate the impact of the security measures by stopping officers from parking in nearby public spaces and reopening a stairway that skirts the headquarters south side and leads down to street level near the Brooklyn Bridge. The department also plans to redesign its guard booths and security barriers to make them more attractive, and is involved in efforts to convert two lanes of Park Row into a pedestrian green-way. “The Police Department has worked hard to be responsive to the community while maintaining the requisite level of security for this sensitive location,” he said.
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