MBTA police ask public to be alert

BOSTON – Passengers riding the Blue Line from Wonderland Station into Boston who see a suspicious-looking device should report it immediately.That was the message that Mayor Thomas Menino and top-ranking police at the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) sent out Thursday as they re-launched the “See Something, Say Something” public awareness program.The request was prompted by a prank that occurred when phony electronic devices, which public safety officials claimed resembled bombs, were found throughout Boston and in other major cities. As it turned out, the flashing devices were part of a publicity stunt for a late-night television cartoon show. Two men were arrested. The disposition of their case was expected to be resolved this week.Nonetheless, the prank caused the shutdown of bridges and highways throughout Greater Boston, as well as traffic on the Charles River and on subways and trains.Menino urged the public not to be deterred by those who questioned the law enforcement community’s response to the discovery of the suspicious-looking devices. Rather, those who see something should say something, he said.Led by Menino, MBTA General Manager Daniel Grabauskas, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel Conley and Boston Police Commissioner Edward Davis, dozens of MBTA employees and transit police officers will be handing out hundreds of thousands of pamphlets that encourage the public to report any unusual behavior, suspicious-looking packages or activity that is out of the ordinary.