M4 carbine rifles, MP5 submachine guns and bomb-sniffing dogs part of new “anti-terror” efforts

NEW YORK - April 24, 2008 - More protection against terrorists is coming to a subway station near you. Starting Thursday, special bomb teams, known as "Torch Teams," will be toting submachine guns and bringing bomb-sniffing dogs onto the platforms and into the trains. CBS 2 HD was out first thing Thursday morning on the lookout for these significant security measure improvements.

It's a first for mass transit in the United States. NYPD officers, armed with rifles, submachine guns, body armor and bomb-sniffing dogs will begin patrolling the city's subway system thanks to a 50 percent increase in a homeland security grant.

The city's massive subway system has long been considered a potential terror target. Six officers and a dog will constitute a team, patrolling all platforms and trains in 12-hour shifts. The "Torch Teams" will be toting MP5 submachine guns and M4 Carbine rifles that are used by Navy seals and FBI hostage-rescue teams. The teams are being paid for by $151 million from the Feds.

Similarly equipped NYPD units, known as "Hercules Teams," have patrolled Wall Street, the Empire State Building and other aboveground city landmarks for years as a response to the World Trade Center attacks.

A police official likened the "Torch Teams" to "Hercules Teams" with MetroCards. In this age of heightened security, commuters and keen canines will share the underground world of mass transit.

"It's a very good idea. It's like a deterrent. It's going to make me feel safer, much safer, yes it will. It's a good idea," said commuter Patricia Knight Williams.