Philadelphia Police On Alert Following NYC Subway Explosion
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Police in Philadelphia are on alert following the terror-related incident in New York City on Monday morning.
The man wearing a pipe bomb that exploded in New York City's subway system during Monday morning's rush hour may have been inspired by the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria.
The suspect, 27-year-old Akayed Ullah, is in police custody.
At 7:40 a.m., 20 minutes after the New York City pipe bomb detonated, Philadelphia law enforcement was already meeting and mapping out its response to what the NYPD concluded was an act of terror.
"We shifted additional, mainly uniform, presence into these areas," Philadelphia Police Deputy Commissioner Dennis Wilson said.
The numbers of police officers was increased across Center City, and at travel hubs, like the Frankford Transportation Center.
"We immediately implemented a higher visibility posture," SEPTA Police Chief Thomas Nestel said.
Meanwhile, Kelly Williams of Frankford said his day would go on as it normally does, the incident in New York having no effect.
"I don't believe as Americans we should fear anything like that," Williams said. "It's rare that something like that happens, unfortunately it happened in New York."
Police acknowledge a heavy reliance on the "see something, say something" campaign. So to the average person, what does that mean, exactly?
"What exactly is suspicious? I say when the hair on the back of your neck stands up or when you look at something twice and go, 'That doesn't look right,' we want to know," Nestel said.
The department was in close contact with New York law enforcement after the explosion.
We're told there wasn't believed to be organization or coordination beyond what happened in Manhattan.
Officials emphasized the importance of tips from the public, in an effort to derail or disrupt a potential attack.
"Any tip, no matter how small, could be important," Wilson said. "We need those tips and we're not bothered by them."
