New Yorkers Breathe Easier, Wonder if a Lock-Down Here Would Work

The New York Police Department's heightened security plans will remain in effect through the weekend, with a focus on mass transit, hotels and iconic locations.

Even though the second suspect in the Boston Marathon bombings has been apprehended, Paul Browne, spokesman for the NYPD, says the added resources serve a valuable purpose.

He pointed to the additional police resources slated to be at two races on Sunday, one in Central Park and the other along Manhattan's West side.

About 100 people gathered in Central Park Saturday to run in memory of the Boston victims. Among them was 25-year-old Jackie Lebowitz who was wearing a bib that read, “I run for Boston." 

“It’s a little bit better knowing that there's no more immediate danger to Boston,” she said. “But we're still saddened by the events and it hits close to home because, being involved in running, that could happen anywhere.”

In Boston, residents are no longer being asked to stay home behind locked doors, and the transit system is running again. But the events have some New Yorkers wondering if an emergency could ever result in a city-wide lock down here. 

Sarah Pfeifer says she's gotten a glimpse of what it might be like to shut down New York City.

“I've been here during Sandy and Irene and both of those have been situations where the city has been completely empty and it was a really eerie feeling,” she said. “So I could relate to that.”

But residents like Marco Selis say they don't think an enforced lock down would actually work. 

“For New York I think it's not possible, there are too many people here year-round,” he said. “But I think the police would handle it very well, without shutting down the whole city.”  

The police department's Paul Browne says he doesn't want to draw comparisons between the cities. He says Boston authorities made judgments relevant to Boston. 

“Each city is different. New York is much different than Boston and I wouldn't want to second guess what happened in Boston,” he said. “They brought it to a successful conclusion and we congratulate the authorities there for it.”

When there's been a dangerous situation in the past Browne says NYPD has informed the public but hasn't gone as far as shutting down major city services or asking all city residents to stay indoors for an extended period of time.