SEPTA Hikes Police Presence Amid Bin Laden Train Terrorism Alert
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - Septa is redoubling its security efforts in the wake of allegations that Osama Bin Laden wanted to derail commuter trains on the tenth anniversary of 9/11 (see related story).
There's nothing to indicate that Bin Laden ever got to actually planning an attack on trains, so Homeland Security did not issue an official terrorism alert. However, it did warn transit agencies throughout the country to be vigilant.
David Scott, Septa's deputy chief of transit police, says it's been a busy week.
"We are on alert to the fact that circumstances dictate that we should be more aware of our environment, and we wanted to have our police officers more visible," he told KYW Newsradio today.
Scott says members of the Special Operations response team are out there, along with the K-9 unit and federal agents.
"We prioritize the locations that we think are the most important, and they include the bridges or certain parts of rail stations," he says.
Septa also has a campaign called "See Something, Say Something, " which urges commuters and Septa employees to report any suspicious activity to the authorities.
Reported by Paul Kurtz, KYW Newsradio 1060
