'No Sign' Of Security Threats To Boston Marathon, Baker Says
BOSTON (CBS) -- Massachusetts leaders say there are no credible security threats to the upcoming Boston Marathon, but they are staying vigilant in the wake of a shooting that wounded more than a dozen on the New York City subway system in Brooklyn Tuesday.
Gov. Charlie Baker told reporters that safety planning for the event that attracts hundreds of thousands to Boston is a months-long process, and "there's a fairly aggressive and comprehensive approach to security at the marathon that involves the federal government, state government, all the local communities all the way up and down the course."
He added that the security plan was "dramatically fortified" after the 2013 bombing that killed three people and injured more than 260. There will be security checkpoints with bag checks from Kenmore Square down through the finish line, and special operations teams along the marathon route.
"There's no sign of anything that's particular and specific to the marathon," Baker said. "But we do have a really significant effort at every level of government that goes on in preparing for that race."
Boston Mayor Michelle Wu said she met with police weeks ago to talk security plans.
"This year marks nine years since 2013 and each and every one of those years has been. . . a carefully coordinated large-scale event," she said. "The amount of staffing, of planning, of intra-agency communication that goes into this, it is mapped out block by block by block."
Related: Boston Marathon Security Will Be Changed Due To New York Subway Shooting, Ed Davis Says
Boston Police will have uniformed and plain-clothed officers along the route and use cameras to monitor the crowd.
"There is no known credible threat to the marathon," Superintendent-in-Chief Gregory Long said. "Like everybody else we are monitoring the situation in New York."
Police will take real-time intelligence information into account as they make their security plans, Long said.
"We're monitoring the situation. . . in the short time you can expect to see an increased police presence around MBTA stations the next couple days through the weekend," he said. "In terms of Monday, depending on what kind of information we have and intelligence, we'll adjust our assets accordingly around the marathon."
When the news came out of New York that the subway attack suspect wore a vest that looked like a work uniform, Boston Police offered advice on spotting fakes. "You think it might be a worker but they're acting a little bit odd, a little bit suspicious," said Boston Police Superintendent Gregory Long.
It's a concern because, two weeks ago, the WBZ I-Team reported several Boston Police uniforms were discovered stolen from a supply store. "It's a little bit out of the norm for what you'd expect someone to be doing," Long said. "I would urge anybody, right, not to be afraid to call 911."
State Police also said "currently available information does not indicate any threat to Massachusetts."
"We, along with our partners, routinely deploy a multi-layered security plan at major transportation hubs and critical infrastructure sites, and that operational stance remains in effect today," Col. Christopher Mason said in a statement. "Furthermore, our operations plans for major event security, such as those in place for the Boston Marathon, are dynamic and scalable as dictated by current intelligence, and can be adapted as necessary."
Anyone who sees anything suspicious or out of the ordinary on Monday is urged to call 911.
You can watch live coverage of the 126th Boston Marathon on WBZ-TV and CBS Boston.com on Monday, April 18, 2022.
