NYPD, PAPD and World Trade Center security - KMSP-TV

NYPD, PAPD do battle over control of World Trade Center security

Both sides in this controversy have big guns and the law behind them, but now these two top police agencies are squaring off over who will protect the world trade center site.

Right now the sprawling 16-acre World Trade Center site is being protected by both the New York Police Department and the Port Authority Police Department, but there are growing questions about who will ultimately be calling the shots.

A four-year old deal between the two gave the NYPD that right. But New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie seems to have a different view. Last week he said the only police patrolling the World Trade Center will be Port Authority officers. That is directly opposed to the view of Mayor Mike Bloomberg and NYPD Commissioner Ray Kelly

The deal between the two police departments stipulates that they come up with a joint security plan, which hasn't happened in four years.

We reached out to the Port Authority, which oversees the Port Authority Police, to get its point of view. The spokesperson said the departments are actively working on a security plan.

Security analyst Robert Strang, of Investigative Management Group, said that both police departments bring a lot to the table.

"At the end of the day, if you look at it strictly from a security standpoint, there's no way we shouldn't have input from both the Port Authority and the NYPD," Strang said.

Fox 5 reached out to both Governor Christie and New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who both have oversight of the Port Authority, for comment but we haven't heard back from them.

On Good Day New York, Commissioner Kelly seemed to indicate that the NYPD won't bow out.