Community Corner

Mansfield Residents Experience Post-Marathon Train Station Security

With a Commuter Rail stop in Mansfield, many local residents will see the increase in security at train stations in Boston.

The sight of armed military personnel in a train station is not a common sight around Boston. On a Tuesday morning that was anything but normal, commuters saw the enhanced security personnel that was set up at train and subway stations across Boston as the city continues to operate with increased security in the days after the Boston Marathon.

With a Commuter Rail stop in Mansfield, many local residents experienced first hand the increased presence in security in the city. On most weekdays, the train ride to Boston is usually crowded with a struggle to find a seat at times. On this day however, there was a noticeable decrease in riders.

“The first thing I noticed this morning was the sheer lack of volume on the commuter rail into Boston,” Mansfield resident Mansfield resident Kristin O’Donnell said of her train ride to South Station. “On a train I always sit at least two, sometimes three people deep, I sat alone in a three-seater.  I did not notice much else at this time, with the exception of the fact most people were very quiet and taking sneak peeks around.”

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Another Mansfield resident name Brian Ziev also arrived at South Station Tuesday morning and saw the increase in security not only at the station but also on the Red Line.

“Military personal, perhaps National Guardsman dressed in typical camouflage garb, were patrolling the terminal waiting area as well. Additionally, guardsman were patrolling inside the red line stations, both at the fair gate as well as on the subway platform,”

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While police officers and MBTA security officials are common at stations, the sight of military personnel and police officers in bulletproof vests are anything but common. Zive added that he saw the military personnel carrying semi-automatic weapons as they patrolled the South Station terminal in the morning.

Part of the increase in security were random bag checks, which made some feel safe as they made their way though the public transit system.

“Not only did their presence make me feel safe but, it made me feel honored to live in a state that cares about my safety, and amongst men and women who are much more courageous than I am,” O’Donnell said.

While O’Donnell may of felt safe, Zive was a bit more weary of the bag searched but appreciated the extra effort to find suspicious behavior.

“I suppose the check itself may deter a criminal from attempting a criminal act, but I find it hard to believe that a cursory three-second check of a dimly lit bag is going uncover a malicious device,” Zive said. “The guardsmen perhaps are looking for signs of personal behavior that may be suspect. Overall though, I am glad to see many extra pairs of eyes looking for suspicious behavior.

At least in the short term, the bag checks and enhanced police presence may remain in place as the city recovers from Monday’s explosion.


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