New York police have ramped up security at landmarks including the Empire State Building, Wall St, Columbus Circle and Times Square, as well as the Australian consulate, in a response to the Sydney siege.
The NYPD is taking no chances following the deadly incident that ended in bloodshed in Sydney early on Tuesday morning.
The city's Hercules Teams, who are the NYPD's elite, special forces-type police units, have been sent to guard the Australian consulate in Manhattan.
"There was a lot of intelligence-driven, strategically-based, high-profile police coverage including the heavily-armed Hercules teams at a number of locations including the consul-general's office for Australia and other Commonwealth countries," NYPD deputy commissioner John Miller told reporters.
