‘Too much’ security?y
The cost of unarmed guards at the already heavily protected 9/11 Memorial and Museum has risen to $1 million a month, The Post has learned.
The nonprofit foundation that runs the Ground Zero site has inked a 36-month contract with Parsippany, NJ-based SOS Security to provide officers at a cost of $36.2 million, records show.
That price tag comes in addition to the taxpayer cost of NYPD and Port Authority police officers who patrol the site. The NYPD “is responsible for policing and security in the World Trade Center area,” a spokeswoman said.
Memorial trustee Daniel Tishman, chairman of Tishman Construction, told a June 25 board meeting that The National September 11 Memorial & Museum foundation “was focused on selecting a firm with a demonstrated commitment to customer service and concierge-style security.”
Foundation spokesman Michael Frazier explained, “In addition to helping to keep our visitors, staff and the memorial and museum safe, our security team works to maintain decorum and respectful behavior at this sacred space. They also help to answer any questions visitors may have.”
Current job openings posted by SOS say guards must be at least 18 years old, meet license requirements and pass drug screening.
Sally Regenhard, co-chair of the advocacy group 9/11 Parents & Families of Firefighters and World Trade Center Victims, was irked by the move.
“Why do you need to pay an agency $1 million a month to call 911 when something happens? Considering they already have the NYPD and the PAPD protecting that area, it’s outrageous,” said Regenhard, whose firefighter son, Christian, was killed on 9/11.
“The only solution to this money pit is for the National Park Service to assume operation and control of the site for a fraction of the current bloated expenses.”
Frazier responded, “Are there people who believe there is too much security at the site of the worst US terror attack in history?”
The foundation’s last security firm, Andrews International, got the boot. In March, a memorial guard hired by Andrews pleaded guilty to federal charges he trafficked more than 25 firearms into Manhattan.
The $12 million yearly security tab will top the $10.2 million spent on security last year, the foundation’s 2017 tax filing shows.
In total, the foundation reported $108.7 million in expenses and took in $87.1 million. The new president and CEO, Alice Greenwald, received $564,633 in compensation.