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A Camera's Not The Only Thing Tourists Bring On Visits To Lady Liberty

<p>The Statue of Liberty is seen through fog prior to the start of the 125th Anniversary of the Statue of Liberty ceremony on Liberty Island in Sept. 2011. </p>
Daniel Berehulak
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Getty Images

The Statue of Liberty is seen through fog prior to the start of the 125th Anniversary of the Statue of Liberty ceremony on Liberty Island in Sept. 2011.

Quick: What's the first thing you'd grab for a day trip to Liberty Island to get an up-close look at the Statue of Liberty?

Yeah, most people would say a camera, maybe an umbrella on a rainy day but thousands of visitors are thinking differently. Here's what The New York Daily News foundafter looking into what U.S. Park Police have confiscated from visitors after they started more "rigorous airport-style" screenings at the beginning of 2011:

An inventory showed officers recovered 28 illegal weapons - everything from brass knuckles to collapsible batons to blackjacks.

They also seized nearly 5,300 knives; more than 5,000 other "miscellaneous weapons," including screwdrivers and other tools, and nearly 7,000 cans of pepper spray.

Last month alone, visitors surrendered seven dangerous weapons, 61 cans of pepper spray and Mace, and 588 knives - an average of about 20 blades a day, according to Park Police statistics.

Park Police are giving visitors breaks, though. They say in some states where visitors come from, these weapons are legal.

Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

Eyder Peralta is NPR's East Africa correspondent based in Nairobi, Kenya.