"U.S. steps up security after London attacks"

Thursday, July 7, 2005

U.S. steps up security after London attacks 
By MarketWatch
 
 
NEW YORK (MarketWatch) - Cities across the U.S. beefed up security at
public-transit terminals Thursday in response to a string of deadly
terrorist bombings in London. 
 
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security asked authorities in major cities
to increase their vigilance over major transportation systems. The agency
had no immediate plans, however, to raise the nation's threat level.

"We do not have any specific intelligence indicating this type of attack is
planned in the United States, but we are constantly evaluating both
intelligence and our protective measures and will take whatever actions are
necessary," said Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff.

Federal officials asked New York, Washington, Boston, Atlanta and Miami to
increase security alert levels at transit systems, according to
Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney. 

Amtrak said it deployed additional police and canine units at stations,
aboard trains and along the railroad. 

In Washington, police officers and bomb-sniffing dogs patrolled subways and
buses.

"We are taking precautionary measures to assure our customers that we are
doing everything that we can to make sure that they can use our system
without incident," said Metro Transit Police Chief Polly Hanson.

New York City placed thousands of additional police officers at bus and
subway stations, a police spokeswoman said. Police Commissioner Raymond
Kelly met with his staff and may institute inspections of buses and subways.


"We're in a state of high alert," said one police lieutenant.

About two dozen police were stationed outside the New York Stock Exchange,
including Emergency Service Unit officers with bullet-proof vests and
automatic rifles.  

David Zullin, an assistant trader at Marquis Holdings, said he noticed more
police outside the New York Stock Exchange. "Thank God it didn't happen
here," he said of the London bombings. "All we need is one more thing to
happen and it'll be a ghost town down here."

In Chicago, Transit Authority spokeswoman Kimberly Myles confirmed
heightened security throughout the system. "CTA is monitoring the situation
closely," she said. 

The Chicago transit system is the second largest in the U.S. and carries
nearly 1.5 million riders on an average weekday.

In Boston, a spokesman for Gov. Romney said the city's heightened security
level is similar to the Code Orange used by federal authorities, the
Associated Press reported.

In Los Angeles, an official said police had activated a special command
center and officials were meeting to decide whether to upgrade security
levels throughout the city, the AP reported.


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