(The Associated Press circulated the following on February 27, 2009.)
WASHINGTON, D.C. — US and British rail police are to jointly patrol train stations in the Northeastern United States for their first major security and counterterrorism tactics exchange, Amtrak announced Friday.
The US passenger rail system said British rail police officers would witness security operations performed by tactical units of the Amtrak Police Department (APD) and the Amtrak Office of Security Strategy and Special Operations (OSSSO), as well as countersurveillance personnel and K-9 bomb teams.
The operations were to take place March 2-5 at four different Amtrak station locations: in Washington, Baltimore, Philadelphia and New York.
“The goal of the visit and exchange is to solidify a security partnership and share lessons learned and best policing methods to protect rail passengers and systems on both sides of the Atlantic,” Amtrak said in a statement.