Between Ohio University sporting events, the Court Street Halloween celebration and spring fest season, Athens attracts its fair share of crowds.
One week after two bombs killed three and injured more than 180 spectators at the Boston Marathon, local law enforcement officials are already at work to prevent similar violence against Athens’ many revelers — which is not out of the realm of possibility, they say.
With one suspect dead and the other in police custody, Ohio University Police Chief Andrew Powers said he hopes to receive information from the Ohio Department of Homeland Security about how to adapt OUPD to address new security concerns.
Powers said he has monthly briefings with Homeland Security and regular contact with the FBI to stay abreast of terrorist concerns that could affect Athens and OU.
These state and federal government entities have helped make OUPD’s security of sanctioned events such as sporting competitions, concerts and guest speakers remain “pretty robust,” Powers said.
Though many residents consider Ohio to be too “normal” of a state to be targeted by a terrorist attack, its normalcy and rural environment can be attractive to terrorists, said Lt. Anne Ralston, spokeswoman for Ohio Department of Homeland Security.
“Ohio really is in the thick of things,” Ralston said. “(Terrorists) are going to use the interstate systems in Ohio to carry out their illicit activity. We are also very normal and rural. It’s a place that someone could come assimilate into very easily.”
Ariya Fathi, a sophomore at OU studying civil engineering, said though Athens is a smaller town, he wouldn’t rule out an attack.
“I feel like anything could happen here,” Fathi said. “It just takes one person, and I don’t think it matters if you’re in a big or a small city.”
Since 2010, three Ohio residents have been arrested for providing material support to international terrorist organizations such as Al Shabaab and Hezbollah, and five more were arrested for attempting to blow up a bridge near Cleveland.
Despite Ohio’s recent connections to terrorist activity, Athens Police Chief Tom Pyle said there isn’t a large enough law enforcement and medical presence in Athens to properly respond to a bombing, should this violence occur.
“There would be no comparison if something like the Boston bombing happened here,” Pyle said. “It would be totally different here. It’s sad to say, but (our response) would be considerably less effective based on resources.”
Given the city and county’s limited resources, Powers said he relies on vigilance from residents to prevent attacks from happening in the first place.
“The challenge with something like the Boston Marathon is that you don’t really have a way to set up a secure perimeter,” he said. “It becomes a matter of people being alert to what goes on around them.”
Despite the concern that Athens law enforcement would not be as prepared for such an attack, Jeff Whitlinger, a sophomore at OU studying engineering technology and management, said he isn’t worried about terrorist attack happening in Athens.
“I feel safe in Athens because it’s a student community,” he said. “Plus Athens is a pretty remote area and not near a big city.”
Though the natural reaction to terrorist attacks may be fear, Benjamin Banta, OU assistant professor of political science, said citizen awareness is an effective form of combatting future attacks.
“The best we can do as a nation is react as caring and thoughtful human beings would,” Banta said. “That’s not always an easy or natural response, but it is the most rational.”
sh335311@ohiou.edu
