SEPTA increased its police presence — sending bomb-sniffing dogs into stations — in the hours following a shooting aboard a New York City subway train that left at least 10 riders injured.
All transit officers were informed of the incident, which occurred in Brooklyn, and SEPTA quickly worked to coordinate with other law enforcement agencies, spokesman Andrew Busch said.
“Our police are very plugged in with what’s happening regionally and nationally, so they’ve been informed right up to the minute,” he told Metro on Tuesday afternoon.
City, university and Amtrak police stepped up their patrols around transit stops, and SEPTA deployed its dozen K-9 units.
However, even early on, PPD and SEPTA officials did not believe the shooting posed a threat to Philadelphia.
“A lot of it is reassuring people that these are safe areas and that we’re available to respond to things as they come up,” Busch added.
He encouraged people to call 911 in the event of an emergency, such as last week’s shooting near Frankford’s Arrott Transportation Center that left four people wounded, including a transit officer, with the gunman eventually killed by police during a standoff.
For less urgent matters, riders can download the SEPTA Transit Watch app, which allows users to report information directly to dispatchers.
In addition, call buttons connect to train operators and emergency boxes inside stations can be used to communicate with SEPTA’s command center, Busch said.
“We’re not necessarily changing anything patrol-wise moving forward this week as a result of today,” he said, “but we’ll stay in close contact with law enforcement partners if there are any developments.”
