Report: Air Marshals to Guard Trains

www.foxnews.com ^ | Report: Air Marshals to Guard Trains

[Esther Ruth]

Report: Air Marshals to Guard Trains

Wednesday, December 14, 2005

WASHINGTON — Federal air marshals will expand their work beyond airplanes, launching counterterror surveillance at train stations and other mass transit facilities in a test program this week, according to a published report.

Teams of undercover air marshals and uniformed law enforcement officers will fan out to bus and train stations, ferries, and mass transit facilities across the country to "counter potential criminal terrorist activity in all modes of transportation," The Washington Post reported on its Web site Tuesday night, quoting documents from the Transportation Security Administration.

The Post said documents showed the teams — known as "Visible Intermodal Protection and Response," or "Viper" teams — will take positions in public areas along Amtrak's Northeast Corridor and Los Angeles rail lines; ferries in Washington state; and mass transit systems in Atlanta, Philadelphia and Baltimore.

[Esther Ruth]

excerpts....

Teams will patrol the Washington Metro system, as well and will consist of two air marshals, one TSA bomb-sniffing-canine team, one or two transportation security inspectors, one local law enforcement officer, and one other TSA employee.

Federal officials said there is no new intelligence indicating that terrorists are interested in targeting transportation modes, the Post said.

Some members of the team will be obvious to the traveling public and wear jackets bearing the TSA name on the back. Others will be plainclothes air marshals scanning the crowds for suspicious individuals.

It is unclear how many Viper teams will be on patrol through the New Year's holiday, but air marshal officials confirm that they will be at seven locations across the country.

[lexington minuteman 1775]

So when are they going to put Federal Air Marshals on the old Greyhound bus?

[PBRSTREETGANG]

Wouldn't they be "Rail Marshalls" then?

[Saint Reagan]

Thats exactly what I was thinking. Although, I wasn't aware we still used trains in America. What are they doing, deploying six Rail Marshalls effective immediately?

[Liberfighter]

Might as well send some Marshals to go guard the border as well.

[Saint Reagan]

Does anyone know if in general private citizens are allowed to carry guns on trains? That would offset the need for rail marshalls to some degree.

[Lion Den Dan]

So has it become illegal to carry concealed on trains, busses, etc. in the jurrisdictions where such is otherwise legal?

[billorites]

"So when are they going to put Federal Air Marshals on the old Greyhound bus?"

That's gotta feel like a demotion.

[lexington minuteman 1775]

Yeah, demotion for sure. Can you see somebody asking this guy what he does for a living and he is ashamed?

[joesnuffy]

The trains to worry about are the freights carrying chemcials
and munitions,and the ones coming up from Mexico un-inspected.
(as remain many if not most semi trailers coming up from Mexico)

imo

[Esther Ruth]

If the laws says you can't carry them on the streets you ain't getting on no train with them either....all are checked before getting on commuter trains.
These guys have been on Metra for awhile in Chicago area and the more the better. Folks also watch like hawks and report anything suspicious.

[HadEnough]

Better take your imodium before you get on board Amtrak. If you get the URGENT need to exit the train, a Death Marshall will blow your brains out then emphatically state to the press "he made statements to the EFFECT that he had a BOMB"

[Esther Ruth]

..and the ones coming up from Mexico un-inspected.
(as remain many if not most semi trailers coming up from Mexico)
***
Uninspected? Really?

[PBRSTREETGANG]

Although, I wasn't aware we still used trains in America.

I take two every day each way on my commute.

[CindyDawg]

Hey I ride trains and buses. Nothing shameful about that. An average bus has about 50 passengers (including kids) and a mean bus driver. Amtrak carries probably several hundred people on a train. It costs more than flying but I like the sleeper coach. It might not sound as prestigious but any marshal on board would be just as important as an AM .

[Esther Ruth]

That's gotta feel like a demotion.
***
I don't think so....
Planes are relatively very safe.
Trains are much harder work I would think to monitor and police. So you have to be even better at what you're doing.
People constantly getting off and on every 5 minutes as they carry folks in and out of the burbs.

[takenoprisoner]

OMG now they'll be killing folks on trains too.

[xsrdx]

That's gotta feel like a demotion.

"Bus Marshal" doesn't have quite the same ring to it, nope.

[untrained skeptic]

Does anyone know if in general private citizens are allowed to carry guns on trains? That would offset the need for rail marshalls to some degree.

I believe it's still mainly a matter of state law.

Depending on the state, if the trains are privately owned, the owner may also be able to ban the possession of a firearm on the bus, since it's privately owned property.