(The following article by Jonathan Lucas and Hoa Nguyen was published in the Stamford Advocate.)
STAMFORD — Police conducted spot checks of commuter trains heading to New York City last night in response to the government’s heightened terror alert.
“We are conducting searches on trains as part of our enhanced security measures,” said Tom Kelly, spokesman for the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, which oversees Metro-North and Long Island railroads.
The MTA has been tightening security around Grand Central Terminal since the national terror alert was raised to code orange last week by the Department of Homeland Security.
MTA police have stepped up presence at Grand Central and other stations and have taken other security measures.
“We are not going to discuss any of the security measures we’ve taken that are not visible to the public,” Kelly said.
Officials are attempting to plan for as many security threats as possible, he said.
“The object here is to keep people off-balance that are looking to do harm to others,” Kelly said.
Margie Anders, spokeswoman for Metro-North Railroad, said MTA police are conducting checks on trains and at stations.
“There haven’t been any specific threats,” Anders said. “It’s just that there’s a general heightened sense of vigilance.”
The checks are expected to continue until the national terror alert is reduced, Anders said.
Until then, all Metro-North train conductors will make announcements that passengers and their belongings could be subject to search by police and bomb-sniffing dogs.
Authorities have said they are concerned about attacks timed to coincide with the hajj, a Muslim holy period that ended yesterday, or the start of war with Iraq.
The FBI and the National Infrastructure Protection Center issued a bulletin Wednesday to companies involved in telecommunications, energy and banking and finance, as well as operators of water systems and electric utilities, law enforcement agencies and emergency services.
Officials believe al-Qaida could target these entities with chemical, biological or radiological attacks. Such attacks, officials say, could prompt terror and mass casualties and disrupt the regional or national economy.
Of particular concern is the “dirty bomb,” a crude, easy-to-make device that would spew radioactive material over a wide area.
Metro-North conductors, who requested not to be identified, said they have been told to watch for suspicious packages or people since the terror level was raised.
However, they said they have not received specific instructions on what to look for.
Passengers commuting from Stamford to Manhattan last night said they are wary of their surroundings but are carrying on with their normal routines.
“It’s comforting that there are police all over the place,” said Matt Benfer, 23, a financial planner who commutes from Manhattan to his job in Greenwich. “I guess I’m not really afraid. I’m going about my business and I’m continuing to do what I want to do, whether it’s getting on the subway or getting on the train to work.”