We all knew what happened in New York almost six years ago and now, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is not taking any chances. The Big Apple will be protected by a ring of devices to detect nuclear or dirty bombs before the end of this year. A dirty bomb is a weapon that spreads radiation, it could go off with or without a nuclear explosion.

The DHS is hoping that this ring of sensors will give adequate warnings if a bomb is transported into the city by land. This reinforces their security efforts as they have been focused on preventing a bomb from being smuggled into the city by sea.

The project, tagged as "Securing the Cities", will place detectors along highways, at truck stops, in weigh stations, and at other places on the perimeter of New York. Locations will of course not be made public.

A proposed US$ 30 million would back up the initiative, in addition to the US$ 16 million that has already been invested in their security efforts. The New York project will also serve as a test for other cities. The DHS, together with the New York Police Department and other state and local governments in New York and New Jersey, is building the network. Aside from that, they are also working to establish protocols on how to operate the system and respond to alarms.

As the Cranberries song goes, "it's a New New York".