(NewsNation) — While gun violence has dominated headlines this year in New York City, one bureau within the New York Police Department solely focuses on foreign and domestic violence threats.

The NYPD Counterterrorism Bureau was created right after 9/11, which monitors possible terrorist targets and “develops innovative, forward-thinking policies and procedures to guard against attacks, training first responders and specialized units and developing intelligence capabilities for detecting and preventing terrorist attacks,” according to the NYPD.

In December 2019, Assistant Chief Martine Materasso, who joined the NYPD in 2000 (just a year before the 9/11 attacks) was picked to lead the department’s Counterterrorism Bureau.

“We’ve never lost focus here in the Counterterrorism Bureau,” Materasso told NewsNation affiliate PIX11 recently in the Joint Operations Center at police headquarters downtown. “We’re ready to move at any moment.”

Investigations have benefited greatly from a vast network of cameras that feed into the NYPD joint operation center. When the lower Manhattan security initiative started after 9/11 the NYPD had access to about 3000 surveillance cameras. The program has evolved over the years to now include more than 50,000 cameras from around the city.

On the 21st anniversary of 9/11, Materasso said New York City remains a prime target for terrorists, and her team continues to work vigilantly to prevent any threats from happening.

“Whether it’s the subway, a bridge or tunnel, I think the whole of New York City is the target,” Materasso said.

NewsNation affiliate PIX11 contribute to this report.