While there is “no current intelligence” indicating a threat, Chicago police order “stepped-up presence at airports and transportation sites within Chicago.”
Paul Van Halteren, honorary consul of Belgium in Chicago, said Tuesday’s terrorist attacks in Brussels came at a particularly busy time for the city.
The blasts at the major international airport and Brussels Metro hit during morning rush hour and as many families are traveling for spring break and Easter, Van Halteren said. He added that there is a lot of construction at bridges and tunnels, so there has been increased ridership on public transportation as more residents avoid the roadways.
Van Halteren, 56, a Brussels native who lives in the Wicker Park neighborhood, said he spent most of Tuesday morning on the phone with friends and family members in the aftermath of the violence. They described the city as coming to a standstill, with residents urged to hunker down in place, transit stations evacuated, rapid trains stopped and planes diverted to provincial airports or to neighboring countries, he said.
“Although we live in a terrible world, it’s only a question of time when you are next on the list,” Van Halteren said, noting terrorist attacks in Turkey and Ivory Coast in recent weeks.
Chicago authorities say there is “no current intelligence” indicating a local threat, but extra officers and canine units were dispatched Tuesday to airports and CTA stations as a precaution.
“There is no current intelligence, threat or nexus to Chicago concerning the Brussels incident,” said Anthony Guglielmi, chief spokesman for the Chicago Police Department.
He said the department’s intelligence unit sent out an advisory to officers “so they are aware and will remain vigilant. As always, in any public place, if individuals think they see any suspicious activity they should immediately contact 911.”
Guglielmi later said Interim police Superintendent John Escalante has ordered “stepped-up presence at airports and transportation sites within Chicago,” similar to precautions taken in New York City and Washington, D.C.
That includes extra canine units as well as uniformed and plainclothes officers, he said. Guglielmi said the actions were precautionary, “not in response to any specific threat.”
In Washington, the Metropolitan Area Transit Authority said it was making K-9 sweeps and dispatching additional patrols. In New York City, police said they were increasing security at major transportation centers, similar to actions taken following the November attacks in Paris.
Amtrak officials also said extra officers are being deployed. Employees were urged to be on the lookout for any suspicious activity or behavior, and to review procedures for inspections and active shooter incidents.
“Today the thoughts and prayers of the City of Chicago are with the people of Brussels in the wake of today’s horrifying terrorist attacks,” Mayor Rahm Emanuel said in a statement. “While an ocean may separate us, Chicago and Brussels are united by common values of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. … Chicago will continue standing with the Belgian people both today and in the difficult days ahead as they move forward in their healing process.”
The Islamic State claimed responsibility for the Belgium attacks.
Belgian officials feared such violence was imminent since last week’s arrest of the top suspect in the attacks in Paris.
Van Halteren said the attacks were particularly confusing for a city with a long history of multiculturalism.
“In Brussels, if you want to have an Albanian lunch and Swedish dinner, it’s very possible,” he said. “The whole country is under shock because we are a pretty open society. To see that disrupting all our lifestyles where we include so many different people is shocking.”
