Sept. 30, 2009

Westchester County residents and visitors may have noticed some unusual police activity in the county Tuesday night, as police for the first time deployed a highly visible “Hercules Team” as part of ongoing counterterrorism initiatives in Westchester.
 
The decision to utilize Hercules Teams in Westchester was not made in response to any specific terrorist threat. It is a new initiative of Counterterrorism Zone 3, which includes all police departments in Westchester, and has been planned for some time. 

Tuesday night a Hercules Team comprised of officers from the Mount Vernon Police Department, the Yonkers Police Department and the Westchester County Department of Public Safety visited an area train station, a shopping center and the Westchester County Airport. 

The chairman of Counterterrorism Zone 3 is Chief Louis Alagno of the Mount Pleasant Police Department.

Comprised of specially trained and heavily armed police officers, the Hercules Team will continue to make unannounced visits in the weeks and months ahead to a range of locations in Westchester from transportation hubs to busy shopping areas. The goal of the Hercules Team is to provide an additional, and unpredictable, layer of security to key locations in Westchester where people congregate.

“People should not be alarmed when they see the Hercules Team tonight or at any point in the future,” said County Executive Andy Spano. “These officers are being deployed as part of an overall strategy to deter those who would do us harm. It is one more way that law enforcement in Westchester is working to keep our communities safe.”