The good news? The hunt for the Boston Marathon bombers is over with the capture of Dzhokhar Tsarnaev. The bad news? Will there be another Boston Marathon race in 2014?
Did last week bombings near the finish line signal an end of an era or did it just made logistics, planning and raising money that much more complicated? Does this bode well for future Boston Marathon races, an annual race that spanned for 117 years?
These questions are important because if the118th Boston Marathon Race is to take place in 2014 security measures and protocols will need to be revamped to adjust to the new climate of fear, the fear of seeing a repeat bombing attacks by wannabe terrorist copy cats who have seen the results of what two people can do to maim, kill, terrorize and shut down an entire city, and gain instant international recognition and even martyrdom.
Not good.
The chase to find the bombing suspects sets off the first ever security precedence of shutting down an entire city and several surrounding suburbs. There were no rail and bus services, traffic was stopped, businesses were forced to close and people were told to stay indoors and lock their doors while police, FBI, and SWAT teams combed the city for the last remaining bomber suspect. The new fear is that this incident will only serve to inspire other wannabe terrorists to repeat the bombing attempt because the attacks had gained such international attention and traction because it happened on American soils.
Securing the 26.2 mile route for next year's race has now become a logistical and PR nightmare. Security costs are expected to take a huge jump to assure the security and safety for each runner and people watching the race on the sideline. Control points will need to be secured along the 26.2 mile route for people who congregate on the sideline to watch runners at the beginning of the race to the end where they cross the finish line. Where there is a crowd, there's a target. You have a crush of people who watch and cheer over 25,000 runners who cram the streets in the beginning of the race like packed sardines.
The Boston Marathon route goes through several small towns such as Hopkinton (pop. 15,000), Ashland (pop. 16,500), Framingham (pop. 68,000), Natick (pop. 33,000), Wellesley (pop. 28,000), Newton (pop. 85,000), Brookline (pop. 59,000), and ending in the city of Boston (pop. 620,000) (see population estimates). The question now becomes on how will security address crowds along that route since security was compromised in last week's attacks near the finish line? How will security address people carrying bags and backpacks? Will they be banned? Will key check points be established? What about parking areas? What about vehicles? More metal detecting wands in the hands of security agents? More drones? More bomb sniffing dogs? Will we see more of those airport security scanners and metal detectors at key entry points with the familiar long lines just to get close to the finish line? Or what about at any key entry points along the 26.2 mile route? Will TSA now officially take control of large events with the Boston Marathon bombings signaling the opportunity (and excuse) to expand their reach and control?
Turns out the TSA goes to NFL games and political conventions and all kinds of places that have little or nothing to do with air travel. It even has a special division called VIPR — an unfortunate acronym for Visible Intermodal Prevention and Response team — that conducts these searches.The Boston Marathon Race is not just an event taking place at a single location like a convention or football stadium where security measures are less complex to maintain. The Boston Marathon is an event that spans over 26.2 miles along the Boston Marathon route though several towns and ending in the city of Boston which would be the most crowded place there is. The expectation could turn out that the TSA will have a greater and visible presence and security role to ensure the safety and security of each individual attending the race. Not only would this be a logistical nightmare since people aren't quite fond of TSA agents with their zeal to grope people's junk but the huge cost associated with it to plan and install newly revamped security measures along the 26.2 mile route, a street that is part of the highway mode of transportation which now falls under the jurisdiction of the TSA with the help of the DHS.
Few people know that $105 million of their taxpayer dollars are going to fund 37 VIPR teams in 2012, whose purpose is to “augment” the security of any mode of transportation. They don’t realize that these VIPR teams can show up virtually anytime, anywhere and without warning, subjecting you to a search of your vehicle or person.
That’s not a fringe observation, by the way. Even the most mainstream news outlets have reported on the problems of these random checkpoints. And it’s being observed by mainstream news personalities, not just consumer advocates with a long list of grievances from their constituents.
But almost no one noticed when the Department of Homeland Security signaled its intent to broaden the scope of its off-airport searches even more in 2013. Buried deep in the Federal Register in late November was a notice that could dramatically shift the focus of transportation security. It involves the government’s efforts to “establish the current state of security gaps and implemented countermeasures throughout the highway mode of transportation” through the Highway Baseline Assessment for Security Enhancement (BASE) program.
The burning question is who will bear the security costs if the 2014 Boston Marathon race is to take place next year? The Federal govt? The state? County? Or the towns where the route runs through? In 2009 there were serious cost issues and concerns by some of the area towns along the 26.2 mile Boston Marathon route, enough so that could have easily impacted the race had they not gotten the extra financial support from the Boston Athletic Association.
Now, officials from four of the area towns along the 26.2-mile Boston Marathon route are grumbling that they aren't getting enough money from the Boston Athletic Association to cover the demands for police and other services every year.
Town officials from Ashland, Framingham, Natick and Wellesley have delayed granting permits for this year's race until after a meeting, slated for this week, with the Boston Athletic Association to discuss their concerns.
"We're looking at cutting back resources, and this is a major drain on our public resources," said John Petrin, Ashland's town manager.
Though the town learned last week that its donation from the BAA will increase by $3,000, Petrin says the new total of $29,000 is still not enough to cover the race's logistical, financial, and business impact on the town. Natick, Wellesley, and Ashland will receive the same donation from the BAA.
The four communities, whose administrators regularly communicate throughout the year, sent a letter to the BAA requesting the meeting.
"We won't vote on anything until we've resolved this issue," said Hans Larsen, Wellesley's executive director. "We're racking up the costs as we speak."
Guy Morse, the BAA's executive director, said the organization is sensitive to the amount of resources expended by communities along the route, but believes the international attention and business traffic generated by the race, as well as the donations, more than make up for it. "
Besides the prestige . . . there must be an economic impact in addition to whatever planning cost there is," said Morse. He said towns have received donations only since 1986, when the John Hancock insurance company started supporting the Marathon, and the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency oversees the coordination of public-safety aspects of the race, reducing the local burdens.Last year's race the cost to compete in the race by eligible runners was $150. And with over 25,000 runners that turns out to be close to $4 million dollars. The 2011 race was at $130. The price steadily rose along with rising popularity of the race over the last decade going from $70 to $150. Could we expect the price for the 2014 race to double or perhaps triple up to $450 to help defray security cost measures in advance of the race? Would $500 per race entrant be doable or affordable in this case? Will towns see an increase in donations to help defray costs for next year's race and not siphon donations away for other projects that benefitted from the race? How will towns help bear the extra security and logistical costs when they could barely cover every year's race? Will it be on taxpayers' dime to help pay for the increased security if TSA gets involved, for example? Is the Boston Marathon race over because it has simply become too burdensome, risky and expensive in a time when the economy isn't so great?
Because of our American spirit and steadily resolve, the 2013 bombing attacks will not stop people from planning for next year's event. It will not stop runners and the crowd from attending the next Boston Marathon race in 2014. It is just that things have become a lot more complicated since the attacks. Compromises will need to be made. Freedom and security will continue to shift and adjust. People will need to learn to increase their awareness of their surroundings should they decide to attend next year's Boston Marathon race. We may see less runners signing up and people attending next year's event or we might see an opposite effect as a show of American spirit and resolve. It's hard to quash the American spirit when you have a tradition that brings people together every year to celebrate the love and zeal for life.
In memory of the Boston Marathon victims.
