Westchester’s Public Safety Commissioner Thomas Belfiore said that the county has taken a number of measures to increase security on its Bee Line bus system, at transportation hubs, county facilities and other high profile sites. He said the county was also in communication with other state, federal and local police agencies.

        
          “People may notice additional police presence,’’ said Belfiore. “This is just a precaution. There is no specific information regarding a threat in the United States, but in light of the London bombings we are taking additional precautions. We ask everyone to be vigilant, but to continue business as usual.’’

Department of Homeland Security Chief Michael Chertoff announced this morning that the terror alert level would be raised from yellow (moderate) to orange (high) after four bombings on London subways and a bus that killed more than 40 people and injured hundreds.

   Belfiore said the county was putting the following measures into place until the alert ends:

·        A uniformed county police officer will be on duty round the clock at White Plains, Yonkers and New Rochelle bus and train transportation hubs and the county is asking local police to assist them.

·        County police patrols will also make the rounds of those hubs and other sensitive locations throughout the county. 

·        Uniformed county police will conduct random inspections on buses throughout the day.

·        Buses will be swept by bomb dogs before they go out each morning and periodically throughout the day.

·        Bus drivers will search for packages or suspicious items or persons on the buses in between runs during the day. Drivers have been trained to spot suspicious activities and to report them to their dispatchers or the police.

            Belfiore said that the county has asked local police agencies to assist by conducting high visibility random inspections by uniformed police at train stations. The county is also working with the Metropolitan Transportation Authority and local municipalities to provide assistance with this.

       While ground transit was the focus of the terror alert, Belfiore said the county is also beefing up      security at its airport with random vehicle check points and increased passenger screenings by the Transportation Security Administration. County police are in contact with other agencies about increased monitoring at Indian Point, the Tappan Zee bridge, MTA rail lines, the Kensico Dam and other sensitive locations.

              Belfiore encouraged residents to be alert and to report any suspicious activity to their local police or to call 1-866-SAFENYS.