Tourists and New Yorkers say they feel safe in New York

After the machete attack on three police department officers on New Year’s Eve, authorities are now trying to determine whether it was a case with terrorist intent as the suspect may belong to a non-Muslim group.

And it is that official sources have assured NY1 News that 19-year-old Trevor Bickford, from Maine, a suspect in the attack, was on the FBI watch list due to the concern of his relatives because he would have expressed interest in joining the Taliban .

In Times Square we were able to talk to a resident and a tourist who say they feel very safe despite what happened.

“I feel safe, I can walk, I’m from Latin America so I can speak correctly I know the difference, right? Well, no, be very careful, danger is always on the street,” said the tourist Magdelys Martínez.

“New York is a safe city, but in any part of the world you always have to be careful. There are always some very isolated outbreaks of violence and acts of indifference,” said Rocke Mendoza, a Brooklyn resident.

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The incident occurred around ten o’clock on Saturday evening on Eighth Avenue, near 52nd Street, just outside the security zones where the New Year’s Eve party was taking place in Times Square when the young man would have been in line to enter the event.

It was then that he attempted to use a machete to strike an officer over the head.

This is the weapon that was recovered from the scene. https://t.co/Waaux2hUTt pic.twitter.com/EijU7QUgkQ

— NYPD NEWS (@NYPDnews) January 1, 2023

One of the officers responded and shot the assailant in the shoulder.

To another New Yorker, police presence should be evident throughout the city, not just these areas.

“Well, in these touristy areas I see that there are police officers and little security, but starting from here, through (The) Bronx, Brooklyn, there aren’t many police officers or security,” said Carlos Gusnay.

Every year the city mounts a massive security operation to celebrate the New Year, and thousands of agents are sent to the area, including many new recruits. In fact, one of the injured officers graduated from the police academy on Friday.

All three officers received medical attention, one with a fractured skull and one with a severe cut, but are expected to recover.

The officers were released from the hospital early this morning and the mayor applauded the NYPD’s efforts to prevent further injuries.