Police and transportation agencies around the Washington area are beefing up security now that the national threat level has been raised to orange.

Metro plans to make more announcements at rail stations urging passengers to report unusual activity. A spokesman says transit police will also wear high-visibility orange vests.

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D.C. police have activated their Joint Operations Command Center. That's where federal and area agencies coordinate their response to potential threats. Police spokesman Sgt. Joe Gentile said the department has turned on its 14 cameras located downtown, and more officers will be patrolling near government buildings.

Gentile said the department hasn't been made aware of any specific threats against the city.

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Terror Alert Increases Security

D.C. Mayor Anthony Williams hopes residents will continue to shop and tourists will still visit. He has canceled plans to leave town. Williams said the additional resources on fighting terror are taking away from local neighborhood law enforcement, and he said federal resources are being drained from the war on drugs.

Officials say Marylanders will see a greater police presence on the highways, and cars will be stopped randomly on the way into Baltimore-Washington International Airport.

Maryland's Homeland Security Director Dennis Schrader said he's coordinating efforts at the state and local levels. He said a routine is in place to respond to heightened terror alert levels.

Virginia Governor Mark Warner has followed the Bush administration's lead and raised the state's terrorism threat alert to its highest level in months.

However, a governor's spokesman gave the same message as governors across the country -- they're not aware of any specific threats to citizens' safety.