Transportation Security Administration (TSA) agents conducted
random checks at the Austin train station, showing that they are expanding their
operations.
“These
facilities are not necessarily protected as well,” said George Robinson with TSA
about bus stations and train stations that typically do not have the same
security measures as airports.
“We do impromptu
visits at locations throughout the country.”
The country has
more than 140,000 miles of active railways and nearly 30 million trips a year
are made using bus or train.
Random security
checks are voluntary, but a way to keep criminal activity from taking place
on-board.
“The security at
airports has increased so the bad guys are now traveling on the trains and
buses,” said Robinson.
About thirty
minutes before the train departed, all passengers were asked to leave their bags
on the boarding platform while two different detection dogs, one for narcotics
and the other for explosives, sniff the luggage. Once the train arrives, the
dogs also sniff the cargo areas.
The random check takes about 10-15 minutes and happens hundreds of times a day at bus, train, and subway stations across the country. Thursday’s in Austin search went without incident. kxan.com
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