Boston Herald
BOSTON — Boston cops armed with military-style assault weapons would be better equipped to combat - and possibly deter - a terrorist attack on the city such as that which killed 173 people in Mumbai in November, said Warren T. Bamford, special agent in charge of the FBI’s Hub offices.
Though cognizant the public might not appreciate seeing their community cops armed to the teeth, “We would be more prepared if we had those here than if we didn’t. We should find a way,” Bamford told Herald editors and reporters yesterday.
Mayor Thomas M. Menino is not outright opposed to stepping up the Boston Police Department’s firepower, but he “doesn’t want to see patrol officers walking around the streets with AK-47s,” said spokeswoman Dot Joyce.
Police Commissioner Edward Davis “has spoken with Special Agent Bamford in regards to this issue and the mayor believes, along with the commissioner, that these weapons should be in the hands of specialized units and available in our neighborhoods, but not assigned to patrol officers,” Joyce said.
Davis was unavailable for comment yesterday.
Bamford, a Lowell native, has long specialized in domestic terrorism and counter-intelligence for the FBI.
Boston is well known around the world and hosts a major seaport as well as numerous tourist attractions - all factors that make the city vulnerable, Bamford said.
If an officer were to be confronted with an assault weapon, “he should have the capability to respond in kind,” Bamford said.
Ten terrorists wielding AK-47s and bombs indiscriminately shot and blew up dozens of people in Mumbai over three days in November. More than 300 other people were injured.
In Boston, “There is no indication of any threats right now,” Bamford said. “What I worry about are the groups radicalizing young people.”
Copyright 2009 Boston Herald