Sheriff Urges Residents To Report Any Suspicious Activity

State officials say that security has been stepped up following incidents of terrorism in New York, New Jersey, and Minnesota this past weekend.

While there is no specific threat targeting Bristol County, Sheriff Tom Hodgson tells WBSM News that law enforcement officials across the Southcoast are watchful for any suspicious activity.

"Our law enforcement partners in our county always have a heightened awareness when something like this happens," said Hodgson "recognizing that there's always a potential in any one of our communities for a similar kind of attack."

Hodgson says that as the threat of terrorism has evolved, observant civilians have become an increasingly important resource.

"Years ago it was the military, then we were introduced, law enforcement was, that we were now going to be the front line defense and now, based on the degree of the problem and how bad it's gotten, we now also included the public as a critical important part of our ability to defend against these kinds of things," said Hodgson.

With that in mind, Hodgson says it's essential that any suspicious activities or individuals be reported to law enforcement saying that events like the shootings in San Bernardino show that it's always better to err on the side of caution.

"The woman didn't want to feel that she was profiling her neighbor so she didn't call and, as a result, we had a very unfortunate situation there," said Hodgson "so if you see something, even if it's a local person, say something. No harm, no foul but we'd like to know to prevent any possible attack."

Massachusetts State Police say they will tighten security at Gillette Stadium for this Thursday night's Patriots game against the Houston Texans.

Troopers will also increase patrols through transit stations and regional transportation centers to assist transit police.