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Teen's 1 WTC Stunt Made EZ By Complete Lack Of Security Cameras
By
John Del Signore
Published Mar 21, 2014
Modified Mar 21, 2014
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By
John Del Signore
Published Mar 21, 2014
Modified Mar 21, 2014
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The New Jersey teenager who slipped under a fence before dawn on Sunday morning and made his way all the way to the spire of the 1 WTC tower was able to pull off the stunt thanks to an easygoing elevator operator, a sleepy security guard, and an utter lack of security cameras inside one of the top terrorist targets in America. According to the Post's sources, the security video system for 1 World Trade Center "won’t be operational until the building opens later this year." Until then, PARTY AT THE SPIRE, KIDS!
The Port Authority, which oversees security for the site, will not confirm nor disclose details about security at the site, but as 16-year-old Jose Casquejo proved, there appears to be room for improvement. But maybe officials are going about this all wrong—instead of prosecuting Casquejo, Homeland Security should hire him and an elite cadre of teenagers to test security at high-value security targets nationwide.
“I walked around the construction site and figured out how to access the Freedom Tower rooftop," 16-year-old Justin Casquejo matter-of-factly told police after a construction worker spotted him and called the cops. "I found a way up through the scaffolding, climbed onto the 6th floor, and took the elevator up to the 88th floor. I then took the staircase up to 104th floor. I went to the rooftop and climbed the ladder all the way to the antenna."
Two of Casquejo's friends helped him case the joint on multiple occasions, looking for weaknesses and finding them. But Casquejo went on his mission alone—one of his friends told the Post, "We’re all crazy, but he’s the one with the balls."
He's also the one with the misdemeanor trespassing charge, but he doesn't seem to be sweating it—yesterday he showed up at school carrying a copy of the NY Post that featured his story on the cover. "I knew what I did was a big deal, but I didn’t think it was going to be this big," Casquejo told the Post. "I’m gonna be stalked like a celebrity now, right? How long is this going to last?" Well Jose, we can probably squeeze at least one more post out of it if you send us the photos.
“We take security and these type of infractions extremely seriously and will prosecute violators,” Joseph Dunne, the Port Authority’s chief security officer, said in a statement to the NY Times. “We continue to reassess our security posture at the site and we are constantly working to make this site as secure as possible.” Seriously, HIRE THE TEENS!
Tagged
1WTC
new jersey
security
security theater
teenagers
John Del Signore
Originally from the Albany area, John Del Signore has called NYC home since 1995. In addition to his thousands of meticulously-crafted bespoke blog posts for Gothamist, his writing has also been published in The Awl, Deadspin, The Nervous Breakdown, and performed at The Brick Theater in Brooklyn.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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