WTF, NYC?

[MannyGoldstein]

I was eating a burger with my son on 14th Street the other day.

Son: Uh, there's a bunch of cops out front.

Me: (quickly glancing over) Uh, yeah.

Son: they have big guns.

Me: (taking a closer look) Holy crap!

We were finishing up anyway, so we exited the establishment and were amazed to see about 8 NYPD cops in black with M-16s or whatever those things are, helmets, ammo, all sorts of stuff. Just standing in a line. With guns. Like this:



A couple of cops had big scary doggies instead of big scary guns, so I approached them and asked the pleasant version of WTF? They informed me that they are the NYPD Hercules Team, they stop Terra! by popping up suddenly at different places around the city.

Pretty scary stuff. Never saw anything like that in Bostom

[left on green only]

1. Whats Wrong With Me? I Can't See Their Body Cams. eom

[giftedgirl77]

2. That's an M4, an M16 has a longer barrel.

[daleanime]

5. So you would use an M16...

if you needed bacon for the whole family?

[giftedgirl77]

7. No, I wouldn't be a cop for the NYPD.

But seeing that Manny said he didn't know what it was I figured I would let him know.

[MannyGoldstein]

9. Yes, thank you! nt

[PoliticAverse]

8. M4 is basically a shorter, lighter version of the M16...

http://www.diffen.com/difference/M16_Rifle_vs_M4_Carbine

You probably shouldn't use either to cook bacon, see:
http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2015/aug/03/ted-cruz-endorses-machine-gun-bacon-please-dont-do-this

[daleanime]

3. Stop Terra!? Looks more like....

ready to start Terra!

[MannyGoldstein]

6. That was my thought

Doesn't seem like the best idea.

[PoliticAverse]

4. Inside the NYPD’s counter terrorism unit

http://blogs.reuters.com/photographers-blog/2011/09/08/inside-the-nypds-counter-terrorism-unit/

[99th_Monkey]

10. When you are a hammer ...

.. everyone is terrorized that they just might
inadvertently look like some kind of nail.

[Depaysement]

11. Go home third way asshole!

We don't need your kind here!

[msongs]

12. gun owners intimidating the local populace nt

[LiberalElite]

13. Oh, them

yeah they show up here & there from time to time.... Nothing to see here folks. Keep moving.

[JHB]

14. Welcome to post-911 NYC...

They aren't outfitted like that every day, but you'll see them that way a couple of days a month in Penn Station. And occasional army or NG people.

I suppose most of it is readiness drills, with the occasional "high readiness" alert.

[bettyellen]

15. Yep, they're a constant presence down by the WTC. Frequently seen at big traffic hubs too.

NYC hasn't depended much on Homeland security, as a disproportionate amount of that money went as pork to places no one gives a shit about attacking. They've had their own units for more than ten years. Sometimes we have soldiers too- I think regular Army.