The NYPD yesterday fired back at critics who claimed the city secretly spied on Muslim residents in Newark, NJ, without alerting authorities there.

NYPD spokesman Paul Browne argued that police officials in Newark were, in fact, told that the NYPD was monitoring the activities of Muslims there for potential terrorist threats, and that one Newark cop even worked as a liaison to New York City cops.

“Newark police officials were aware and were briefed before and afterwards, and a Newark police liaison accompanied NYPD personnel,” Browne insisted.