Drastic Security Measures being taken for Boston Marathon Bombing Trial

Armed boats and police dogs are just a couple of the ways officials are protecting the trial

• By Matt Holden
• Jan 09, 2015

According to a report, extraordinary security measures are being taken during the federal death penalty trial of Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, the man accused of being the Boston Marathon bomber.

White vehicles have been seen bumper-to-bumper outside Boston’s federal courthouse while others circle the block, and a special operations van is stationed near the entrance. The U.S. Coast Guard has ordered boats to guard the harbor while inside the court building officers with dogs roam the hallways

"Federal courthouses have a very high level of security to begin with, so what you're doing is basically extending the security barrier beyond the courthouse doors," said Rick Avery, northeast region president for Securitas. "The possibility of something happening exists every day, so I'd imagine they're being a little more cautious with this."

Bomb squads, snipers, undercover officers and enhanced surveillance operations are just some of the measures used to secure high-profile terrorism trials, Avery said. Tsarnaev's trial, which began this week with jury selection and is expected to last three to four months, is no exception, he said.