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MTA Conducting Bag Searches, Boarding Trains For Security Checks

Flickr user Professor Bop

The Metropolitan Transit Authority said its boosting security in response to the terrorist attacks in Paris on Friday.

MTA Spokesperson Meredith Daniels said more MTA police will be patrolling on the Metro-North and Long Island Rail Roads.

“We’ve stepped up uniformed and plainclothes presence in Grand Central Terminal, as well as Penn Station throughout the metro north and long island railroad service areas," she said. "You’ll also probably notice some canine teams and units with heavy weapons, and there will be random bag checks and some police officers with some step-on-step off patrol presence on the train.”

Daniels said that means police will step onto the train at random stops to do security checks before getting back off again. She said security measures have not caused any train delays.

The MTA urges commuters to be aware of their surroundings and report suspicious activity to authorities.

Cassandra Basler, a former senior editor at WSHU, came to the station by way of Columbia Journalism School in New York City. When she's not reporting on wealth and poverty, she's writing about food and family.