Politics & Government
NY Police Up Patrols at Planned Parenthood Locations
Including the clinic at Brooklyn Borough Hall.
New York State Police will continue to roll out new security measures at the state’s 60-plus Planned Parenthood locations Monday, three days after a gunman killed two civilians and a police officer at a Planned Parenthood in Colorado.
State police will increase patrols near the New York locations, and ”will visit [them] to assist with security and emergency planning measures,” New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced Saturday.
“Our administration is working closely with dedicated Planned Parenthood staff and our local partners to ensure the safety of these health centers throughout the state,” Cuomo said in a statement.
Lauren Tobias, president and CEO of Family Planning Advocates and Planned Parenthood Advocates of New York State, added:
“Our thoughts are with all who were impacted by yesterday’s events; especially the families and friends who lost loved ones, those who were injured and the brave law enforcement agencies and Planned Parenthood staff who handled this tragedy with strength and professionalism. The information regarding the gunman’s motive remains unknown as does whether Planned Parenthood was targeted deliberately. But unfortunately there is a history of people bringing violence to health centers in the past and so an incident such as this underscores the need for vigilance to ensure that patients and the staff that provide services are safe at all health centers. We will work with the Governor’s office, local law enforcement and Planned Parenthood affiliates to make sure health centers in New York can continue to provide safe and accessible high quality health care.”
Planned Parenthood has several locations in Manhattan and at least one in Brooklyn, at Brooklyn Borough Hall.
Beginning Monday, according to the governor’s office, State Police “will be engaging with staff at Planned Parenthood clinics around the state for discussions about security.”
The NYPD also reportedly deployed its own critical response vehicles to New York City clinics Friday.
Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.