New World Trade Center to get military technology

Authorities are installing security measures based on military technology to protect the new World Trade Center from potential terrorist attacks, the New York Post said.

The new surveillance system includes thousands of "intelligent" cameras and devices for facial and retinal recognition capable of comparing notes with databases and lists of suspected terrorists, according to sources cited by the newspaper.

It will also come equipped with infrared sensors and heat detectors capable of spotting explosives and radiation.

The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey also plans to use computers that track people's movements to detect suspicious behaviour and alert the police.

According to the newspaper, typical forms of irregular behaviour include taking an unusual route or going against the general flow of pedestrians, jumping or making erratic movements, or leaving a bag or package at a place where there is no reason to do so.

"What we're doing down there has never been done before," a Port Authority official told the New York Post.

The new WTC's security system will be connected to the network of cameras and sensors already deployed by the New York Police Department in Lower Manhattan and is being developed by Behavioral Recognition Systems, a company that has installed similar devices for the Pentagon.

The BRS program is light-years ahead of traditional security cameras used by night watchmen, the company's president, John Frazzini, told the New York daily.

Frazzini said the system will not store personal data, nor will cameras be installed in places where privacy must be respected such as bathrooms.

Construction of the new WTC, set to be completed in 2013, has been delayed for years because of differences between the Port Authorities and the developer - meanwhile the final cost has shot up to almost $15 billion.