The NYPD said it is "closely monitoring" a terror incident in Barcelona that has killed 12 people and injured dozens of others, and has stepped up patrols and security across the city.
"We are closely monitoring the developments with the incident in #Barcelona," NYPD Counterterrorism Chief James Waters tweeted.
Waters tells News 4 the NYPD has added patrols in Times Square because the area is similar to the Barcelona plaza where a white van mounted a sidewalk and struck several people. A dozen people were reported killed and scores injured in the "massive" incident in the city's Las Ramblas district, one of the Spanish city's top tourist destinations.
The NYPD has added protection on Spanish sites in New York City, like the consulate, out of an abundance of caution.
Gov. Andrew Cuomo also says the state is in close contact with federal and local officials in the wake of the attack. He says he's directed state law enforcement officials to step up and security and patrols at high-profile locations across New York, including airports, bridges, tunnels and mass transit systems.
People in Times Square Thursday couldn't help but remember when a driver plowed down the sidewalk on May 18, killing Alyssa Elsman and injuring others. That prompted the NYPD to make immediate safety changes, including installing concrete blocks on every block between 42nd and 47th streets.
Waters says those cement blocks will soon be replaced with steel bollards or another device to stop a vehicle; the blocks were only meant to be for special events, he said.
But critics argue that dozens of crowded areas, like Union Square, remain vulnerable.
"The city has not done enough to protect pedestrians from vehicular terrorism," said Paul Steely White, a pedestrian safety advocate.
White praises the NYPD's efforts in Times Square but argues that restricting traffic and limiting truck delivery hours can protect even more New Yorkers.
"The more terrorists are going to use vehicles to kill people, the more we have to be vigilant here in New York City taking steps to protect our pedestrians," said White.
Also Thursday in New York City, Cuomo directed that the lights on the spire of One World Trade Center be lit in red and yellow - the colors of the Spanish flag.
