According to a letter from the department originally written in September, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle will receive additional security from the NYPD on future visits to New York City following a security incident in May 2023.
The letter, obtained by NBC New York, said that after an investigation into the May 16, 2023 incident, the NYPD determined that the paparazzi acted “recklessly,” although no charges were filed.
In a statement to NBC News in May, the couple's spokesperson said the “relentless pursuit” of the pair leaving an event lasted over two hours and resulted in near misses with other drivers on the road, pedestrians and two New York City police officers York police led police officers.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – MAY 16: Security escorts Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, and Meghan Markle, Duchess of Sussex, through a group of photographers outside the Ziegfeld Theater on May 16, 2023 in New York City. (Photo by James Devaney/GC Images)
The spokesman added that the “near-disastrous chase” was caused by “a group of extremely aggressive paparazzi.”
Julian Phillips, the NYPD's then-assistant commissioner of public information, said at the time that officers “assisted the private security team in protecting the Duke and Duchess of Sussex.”
“There were numerous photographers who made their transportation a challenge,” Phillips said in a statement. “The Duke and Duchess of Sussex arrived at their destination and there were no reported collisions, citations, injuries or arrests.”
In the NYPD letter, police said the paparazzi exhibited a “reckless disregard for vehicle and traffic laws and sustained dangerous and unacceptable behavior.”
The NYPD and the Manhattan District Attorney's Office concluded that there was insufficient evidence to arrest those involved, but the incident would lead to a change in security arrangements for the royals in the future.
NEW YORK, USA – MAY 16: Duchess of Sussex Meghan Markle and Duke of Sussex Prince Harry attend the ceremony benefiting the Ms. Foundation for Women and Feminist Movements on May 16, 2023 in New York, USA. Meghan Markle, who wears a gold dress at the “Women of Vision” gala, will receive the 2023 Women of Vision Award from Gloria Steinem on Tuesday evening at the Ziegfeld Ballroom in New York City. (Photo by Selcuk Acar/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
The NYPD said it would “increase the security resources available to the Duke and Duchess during future visits to the city,” according to the letter, which said the NYPD would provide additional resources to protect the couple .