(The following appeared on the Beacon-News website on June 24, 2010.)
CHICAGO — Police officers are expected to be hundreds of Amtrak and Metra stations Thursday morning, as part of a counterterrorism drill.
The multi-force security surge across suburban Chicago, Wisconsin and Indiana is not in response to any threat or incident, according to a press release from Amtrak. The officers are part of Operation ALERTS, a coordinated test of terrorism preparedness that will practice security presence onboard trains, explosive detection canine sweeps and random passenger bag inspections, the release said.
Amtrak says Thursday’s operation illustrates the growing cooperation among police departments in states, cities, and towns. The deployed police officers will provide a visible security presence, on alert for and ready to investigate suspicious persons, activities and items.
“Regional partnerships, like those on display in the Chicago area today, are critical to ensuring the safety of the traveling public in our nation’s rail and transit systems,” said John Sammon, Transportation Security Administration Assistant Administrator. “The commitment of State and local departments has been particularly impressive, producing a unified effort that has expanded the range of resources for the random and unpredictable activities that are essential to security.”
According to Amtrak, Thursday’s deployments will be reviewed to identify lessons learned as part of a continuous improvement approach, including evaluation of requirements and tactics. The operation also provides an important model for developing regional templates for smaller-scale, joint-security operations.