Security Drills Along Delaware River In Advance Of Papal Visit
By David Madden
ESSINGTON, Pa. (CBS) - Law enforcement on both sides of the Delaware River conducted security drills in the shadow of Philadelphia International Airport -- drills that take on greater importance given Pope Francis's scheduled visit next month.
SWAT teams paired up with officers from throughout Delaware County, along with New Jersey State Police and the FBI, to rehearse procedures they'd use in the event of a terrorist attack.
"The concern, obviously, is that the river could be used to strike an attack at any point in time both through land and also through the air," Delaware County DA Jack Whelan told KYW Newsradio.
The county used a recent $4-million federal grant to enhance security along the river with radar and cameras. After all, you can't be too careful, even if the Pope wasn't coming. That's why they conduct these drills regularly, according to FBI Special Agent Joe Metzinger:
"We ran one back in May here, using Tinicum Island and we're going to continue using different points along the Delaware River and the Schuylkill River to train. So we've been doing this before we even started planning for the Pope."
As you might guess, they're keeping specifics very close to the vest. No one is ready to announce any restrictions for using the river during the Pope's visit.