Chicago police beef up security following New York explosion

CHICAGO, Dec. 11 (Xinhua) -- Chicago police are increasing the number of patrol officers at transit hubs in response to an attempted terrorist attack in New York on Monday, a police spokesman said.

Anthony Guglielmi, spokesman for the Chicago Police Department wrote on his twitter "here are no credible threats to Chicago." But he added that the department plans to make officers "highly visible" at Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) stops and Metra rail stations.

Guglielmi said the department has been in contact with the FBI and New York's police department and they are monitoring everything very closely.

More officers and police cars are seen in Chicago's most populated area like North Michigan Avenue and Daley Plaza. At Christmas market in downtown, there are more more security guards at the entrance with several officers patrolling in between different vendors.

"You see there are cycling policemen coming over frequently, and we feel very safe in downtown Chicago," Lashawn Bell, a public transportation staff told Xinhua.

Four people were injured in an explosion in a passageway near Times Square, Manhattan in New York City early Monday morning.

At around 7:20 a.m. local time, a 27-year-old man, who had an improvised, low-tech explosive device attached to his body, intentionally detonated the device, injuring himself and three others, New York City Police Commissioner James O'Neil said at a press conference held near the scene.

O'Neil said police have identified the suspect as Akayed Ullah and have kept him in custody. He gave no further details about the suspect. Enditem