After September 11, 2001 many felt it was necessary to build a new World Trade Center, and this past year the spire was put in its place making the building 1,776 feet tall. But as the finishing touches are being put on the new structure, it appears security in the building is seriously lacking. There have been 2 known incidents of citizens breaking into the building.
This past September 4 people were found parachuting off the top of 1 World Trade Center. These perpetrators just turned themselves in yesterday. This case is the second incident in two weeks coming from the new structure. On March 16th a teenage boy was arrested after he slipped through a gap in a fence, eluded an inattentive security guard and spent two hours taking pictures of New York City from the top of the building.
How is it possible that these two incidents have happened in a place where security is supposed to be at its best? The site is owned by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey and should be one of the best protected buildings in the country.
The BASE jumpers made their jump at 3 a.m. as to avoid others and make sure no one got hurt, but that is not the issue. The building is clearly much too vulnerable.
The NYPD devotes over 200 officers, surveillance cameras and other technology in order to protect the perimeter of the site. The Port Authority and other private security companies are supposed to guard the site.
The skyscraper is still under construction, which makes it dangerous for civilians to be wandering through the building at all hours of the day. Additionally, the building is significant in commemorating the loss on September 11th and should be secured properly so as to keep serious incidents like this, or worse, from happening.
What is needed in order to keep this building safe? It seems like it’s about time to step up security measures so as to avoid potential threats of terrorism or other crime. For now it was silly BASE jumpers and a teenager who wanted to take some cool pictures, but what will happen when the crime is not so elementary?