By Gabriela Resto-Montero
DNAinfo Reporter/Producer
MANHATTAN — A budget crunch at the Port Authority has left five vulnerable Lower Manhattan sites without supervision from Port Authority captains, the New York Post reported.
The fiscal crisis has left just four captains to oversee the Authority's 1,700 police officers, the Post reported.
News of the Port Authority's leadership crisis shocked downtown residents who pointed out that the World Trade Center site is the only location to have been targeted twice by terrorists.
"Have we completely forgotten the lessons of 9/11?" said Julie Menin, chair of Community Board 1, in a statement.
"I am shocked to learn that the Port Authority Police Department has made drastic supervisory changes leaving the WTC site and other high risk sites completely vulnerable to attack," Menin said.
While a spokesperson for the PAPD told the Post they did not comment on personnel issues, PAPD Superintendent Michael Ferdorko said at a public meeting that officials had not ruled out hiring outsiders to fill the empty captain positions.
