It could be a character in the latest “Star Wars” film but this bomb-disposal robot is just one of the high-tech gadgets the NYPD will deploy when Pope Francis makes his pilgrimage to New York later this month.
The bot has an articulated arm to tear open packages or deal with an explosive device, the commanding officer of the NYPD’s bomb squad said.
“We can remotely conduct an operation,” said Lt. Mark Torre.
“It does a lot but it can’t do what these guys do,” he added, speaking of his officers.
Other equipment includes a massive command center, five bomb-squad trucks and an all-black armored vehicle known as a BearCat. There are also two SUVs emblazoned with the acronym of the NYPD’s new Strategic Response Group, which has 800 counterterrorism officers.
“High tech and old school at the same time,” Commissioner Bill Bratton said.
The top cop also said that keeping Francis safe on Sept. 24 and 25, while the UN General Assembly is also in town, will be the toughest job the NYPD has ever tackled.
“We believe that this event is going to be the largest security challenge the department and this city have ever faced,” he said at 1 Police Plaza, with reps from the Secret Service, FBI and other law-enforcement agencies involved in the operation.
“In addition to the pope, we will have 170 world leaders in this city. . . That’s 90 percent of the world leaders in this city at one time,” Bratton said, insisting the the city will be kept safe.
Speaking at the same event, Mayor de Blasio heaped praise on the NYPD.
“We have the finest police force anywhere in this nation, anywhere in the world right here in New York City,” Hizzoner said. “This police force has seen it all and will be ready for it all.”
But Bratton repeated concerns about Francis’ habit of mingling with the masses.
“We’d keep him inside a bubble if we could,” Bratton said. “[But] we’re very comfortable that we’ll be able to meet his needs and meet our needs.”
Asked if authorities knew whether the pope plans on using mass transit, Robert Sica — head of the New York office of the Secret Service, which is in charge of security for the pontiff’s visit — appeared stricken.
“We hope not,” he said after a moment’s pause.
The comments came after a daylong “tabletop exercise” at Police Headquarters involving city, federal and other law-enforcement agencies, meant to see if the combined agencies had the resources to handle multiple crises at once.
Various scenarios were simulated, amongst them a backpack bombing in Times Square, an IED targeting a diplomat at a Broadway hotel — and, jokingly, an asteroid hurtling toward Earth.
Additional reporting by Michael Gartland