Fed Funds for Security

According to the website GovExec.com, The Federal Government is getting ready to spend billions of dollars to upgrade security on our nation's transit systems.

Some of the security measures will be fences, communications systems, cameras, patrols with dogs, explosive detection systems, etc.

Although many of us would like to see some of those billions used to expand and improve SEPTA; and I, for one, sit back and wonder who would want to blow up or terrorize SEPTA itself?....I mean, most of it is so old and ugly - if you're going to blow up parts of it, you'd be doing a lot of people a favor! The terrorists can start with the Levittown Station....What an eyesore!

Anyway, aside from foreign terrorists, I do believe that these security measures will be beneficial, because perhaps it will discourage the normal types of crimes, tragedies, suicides, etc. that occur around tracks and train stations, even graffiti.

Any comments?

As for terrorism, only airport style security at every station would really be enough to reasonably ensure safety from terrorism, and they're not going to do that. I agree that SEPTA's best defense is that it probably isn't worth the effort from a terrorists eyes. It's a second rate transit system in an often overlooked city with bigger targets both north and south of it.

I do believe that these security measures will be beneficial, because perhaps it will discourage the normal types of crimes, tragedies, suicides, etc. that occur around tracks and train stations, even graffiti.

I afraid it won't help SEPTA much in that regard, either. They probably won't get enough money to implement measures that will really make a difference in those things, and anyway, people won't stop attempting dumb, risky, or destructive things like vandalism, walking on active tracks, attempting suicide, etc, if they aren't already stopped by morals or a sound mental state. Especially since live guards will probably only be deployed in greater force in center city, and they're the most likely to discourage people from such ideas.

I'm interested to hear what others think; that's just my two cents.

It's my understanding that the vast majority of the funds in question are being allocated to air transportation, and the next largest percentage to marine ports. Only a bit for rail, such as the NYC Amtrak North and East river tunnels.

PARailWiz wrote:As for terrorism, only airport style security at every station would really be enough to reasonably ensure safety from terrorism, and they're not going to do that.

Let's be clear here: Airport style security isn't effective security at airports, and duplicating it at every train station would be several kinds of madness. There will always be a way to get sharp things or potentially sharp things on an airplane, and no sane group of passengers will ever let a hijacker take control of an aircraft ever again, no matter what cost to themselves (cf. United 93). Unlike planes, there is nothing interesting you can do to a train from a terrorist's perspective except kill its passengers. The best defence against that is an alert ridership, with the means to defend itself.

I do believe that these security measures will be beneficial, because perhaps it will discourage the normal types of crimes, tragedies, suicides, etc. that occur around tracks and train stations, even graffiti.

I afraid it won't help SEPTA much in that regard, either. They probably won't get enough money to implement measures that will really make a difference in those things, and anyway, people won't stop attempting dumb, risky, or destructive things like vandalism, walking on active tracks, attempting suicide, etc, if they aren't already stopped by morals or a sound mental state.

Vandalism can be prevented by getting serious about yard security (as has been proven time and again when a transit agency/railroad increases security at its yards); suicides probably cannot be deterred, for what I hope are obvious reasons.

Let's be clear here: Airport style security isn't effective security at airports, and duplicating it at every train station would be several kinds of madness. There will always be a way to get sharp things or potentially sharp things on an airplane, and no sane group of passengers will ever let a hijacker take control of an aircraft ever again, no matter what cost to themselves (cf. United 93). Unlike planes, there is nothing interesting you can do to a train from a terrorist's perspective except kill its passengers. The best defence against that is an alert ridership, with the means to defend itself.

Well said. That's why I said "reasonably" insure, not absolutely insure. Alert riders are definately the best line of defense.

Vandalism can be prevented by getting serious about yard security (as has been proven time and again when a transit agency/railroad increases security at its yards); suicides probably cannot be deterred, for what I hope are obvious reasons.

Transit railroads are almost by definition cash-strapped, so increased yard security unfortunately probably isn't an option they can afford at the moment.