Mass transit systems remain a security concern throughout the United States. Nearly a year since the London bombings transit systems around the country have reviewed their procedures and tightened security. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) issued a statement in March 2006 reminding the general US public that current threat levels had been lowered in late 2005 to ?yellow? or elevated level. However, large cities with mass transit infrastructure continued to stay on active alert.
DHS spokesman Russ Knocke stated last week that the memo was issued as a ?routine reminder? to U.S. transit systems, adding that intelligence sources had not received any new information indicating a potential threat.
Shiela Gregory, spokeswoman for Chicago?s transit authority, the second largest system in the country, said they had received no new information from DHS officials concerning illicit activity within European train stations.
Boston area transit officials have remained on alert. “We have received the memo and we are continuing to operate under the procedures we have in place for the elevated threat level,” stated Joe Pesaturo, spokesman for Boston transit.
The memo stated that an unidentified foreign man had been detained in November for casing subway stations in Europe, videotaping the interior and exterior of subway cars, stations, trashcans and stairwells. European security officials obtained 17 minutes of footage but stated that the area covered by “the camera contained no footage of tourist sites.” Three other individuals have also been arrested for similar suspicious activities.
The memo went on to read that the recent actions “prove indications of continued terrorist interest in mass transit systems as targets, and potentially useful insights of the terrorists’ surveillance techniques.? The text included stated “DHS has no credible or specific intelligence regarding active plots targeting U.S. mass transit systems.”
DHS has no plans to raise the threat alert level said Knocke. He also added that it was not related to the recent verdict of Al-Qaeda conspirator Zacarias Moussaoui, who was sentenced to life in prison for his direct involvement with the September 11, 2001 attacks on the United States.
In response to the memo, Candance Smith spokeswoman for the Washington Metropolitan Transit Authority stated that the memo did not raise alarm. “It’s not unusual for people to take pictures of the Metro system, and we keep an eye out if there’s anything unusual about them.?
Train travel throughout the U.S. is estimated at 32 million daily commuters. As populations increase inside major cities, transit systems are becoming more popular as well as alternate transport to combat high gasoline prices. Close monitoring of transit infrastructures is prudent and should be continued.
