Some large-city U.S. public transportation agencies are increasing security in the aftermath of the State Department closing diplomatic sites in the Middle East and North Africa because of concerns about a possible terrorist attack.

For example, the New York Police Department is enhancing its presence in public transportation hubs and religious sites, among other locations, and in San Francisco, police increased their patrols at public transit locations, landmarks, and embassies.

Ron Pavlik, chief of the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority’s (WMATA) Metro Transit Police, sent a notice to employees calling for vigilance at all times. He stated, however, that neither WMATA nor any other U.S. public transit system had received a specific or credible threat.

Another component of the heightened security presence has come from the Transportation Security Administration’s Visible Intermodal Prevention and Response (VIPR) squads, which has added rail stations to its purview.

In Minneapolis-St. Paul, Metro Transit has worked with VIPR teams on its light rail line that serves the ­Minnesota Vikings stadium, the Mall of America, and the airport. Amtrak police work with VIPR teams on random bag inspections during high-travel periods.

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