Security same at Green post-Osama

WARWICK, R.I. (WPRI) - The killing of Osama bin Laden has prompted heightened security in several communities, but the U.S. government is not raising the terror alert level for domestic travel. Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano says the U.S. is safer now than it was on September 11th.

Travel was pretty routine for a Monday inside the T.F. Green Airport terminal. Crowds of passengers were relatively sparse, though they were well attended by TSA workers. A bomb-sniffing dog was also making his way across the concourse.

The Rhode Island Airport Corporation said they weren't tightening security checkpoints or bringing in lots of extra people; they said they'd already been staying at a heightened awareness and alert all along.

Airline passengers took the happenings in stride.

"I'm glad he's caught and he's dead," said Ralph Tomei of Seekonk. "We were nervous at first. We didn't know what to expect."

Marc McMullin, who's traveled a lot for his job over the past ten years, said he was surprised "that we haven't had any other attacks since September 11th."

It did take a Sept. 11th multi-city disaster to concentrate efforts to tighten security in 2001. Fears brought every plane in the country back to airports and the sky cleared of passenger traffic. Harsher searches and rules are now the order of the day in what passengers can take on board -- related to weapons, liquids, and more.

"You tend to wonder why it wasn't always like this," said Nancy Gaudor of Attleboro. "Did we just have our guard down and think that people like him weren't out there?"

Secretary Napolitano said bin Laden's death was a success -- but says the country's efforts to combat terrorism do not fixate on any one individual.