Gazette.Net: Law Enforcement Officials Increase Patrols Following Bin Laden Death

While there have been no direct threats to Maryland or the state’s infrastructure following the slaying of terrorist leader Osama bin Laden, policy and safety officials are stepping up patrols and reviewing security plans.

Sgt. Jonathan Green, spokesman for the Maryland Transportation Authority police, said patrols will be increased at the Port of Baltimore and Baltimore Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport after President Obama’s announcement Sunday of bin Laden’s death. Travelers, however, will be relatively unaffected by the increased security, Green said.

“They won’t see any significant impact to travelers and airline schedules,” Green said. “Certainly our No. 1 goal is going to be safety; at the same time, they’re both large facilities.

Green and other security officials acknowledged the potential for counterattacks from people sympathetic to bin Laden, who was killed Monday (Pakistani time) in a U.S. raid on a compound in the suburbs of Islamabad.

“Obviously, all of our officers are aware of what happened; there is a heightened awareness. In both cases [of the port and airport], there is no indication of any specific threat,” Green said.

The Maryland Emergency Management Administration has spent time since the announcement of bin Laden’s death reviewing its anti-terrorism policies.

“We’re not trying to scare that public, but we are trying to take stock of the plans we’ve had in place for many years,” said Edward Hopkins, director of external affairs for MEMA.

In conjunction with bolstered security, Hopkins said his agency is encouraging Marylanders to be aware of any suspicious activity.

“The main things we’re focusing on right now is vigilance,” Hopkins said. “We want Maryland residents to remain vigilant.”

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