Port Authority riders might have noticed a large police presence at times over the past few weeks, as authority police and federal Transportation Security Administration officers conduct saturation patrols.

The police were at Washington Junction this morning and Castle Shannon yesterday afternoon, causing some to wonder if there were emergencies. There were none.

Authority spokesman Jim Ritchie said the routine patrols were being conducted throughout the system, at rail and busway stops and heavily used bus stops in Oakland. The officers are there to observe and are not stopping riders or conducting searches.

"Every so often you hear of threats to transit systems in one place or another. This is a growing concern and our police department is trying to be a little more proactive in showing that kind of force across our system," he said.

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