Security around Faneuil Hall will not undergo significant changes after the capture and arrest last Sunday of Kevin Bennet, who is charged with posing as a taxi driver, picking up two women from the tourist hotspot, kidnapping them and sexually assaulting them.
“This doesn’t change anything. Security is one of the top, if not the top, priority,” said Michael Kelleher, vice president and general manager of Faneuil Hall.
Security around Faneuil Hall underwent several upgrades after the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, Kelleher said, and all the new measures are still in place, including 24-hour observation.
“There will continue to be a form of activity in the area to ensure it is a safe area,” Kelleher said. “This incident doesn’t change our mentality. Observing will continue.”
Officials from the Cambridge Police Department said there are not many extra precautions they can take to prevent similar cases of rape.
“We don’t want to give you false hopes,” Officer Frank Pasquarello said. “Other than women carrying mace or pepper spray, there isn’t much you can do.”
The rapist allegedly picked up his first victim, who is 26, early the morning of Saturday, Sept. 17 in a sport utility vehicle and offered her a ride to the Back Bay area. But instead of bringing her to her requested destination, he drove them both to the area around One Alewife Center in Cambridge, where he assaulted and raped her.
One week later, Bennet picked up his second victim, 23, in what she described as a white taxicab before driving her to the same location in Cambridge and assaulting her.
Both women sought medical attention and were treated at area hospitals. But according to Kelleher, patrons at Faneuil Hall should not worry.
“It is not good if people don’t feel safe, [so] we have security officers watching cabs and assisting people,” Kelleher said.
Despite reassurances, the incidents have concerned some female students at Boston University.
“This definitely makes me more apprehensive that just quickly grabbing a cab is the easiest way out,” College of Arts and Sciences freshman Leslie del Angel said. “I would definitely be more inclined to walk because you’re always told it’s safer.”
Larry Meister, vice president of the Independent Taxi Operators Association, said to stay safe, customers should check for a cab driver’s license and should ask the driver to present it if it is not openly displayed. “We have many good, honest drivers out there,” Meister said. “There should be no fear of getting into a Boston cab.”
Not all area cabs meet the same standards and follow the same regulations as Boston cabs, so customers should approach them with more caution, according to Meister.
“It is better to get into a Boston cab than a Cambridge or Somerville cab,” he said.
Officer Pasquerello also said people should examine the license and use common sense.
“A cab that is a cab will have a medallion number,” he said. “If you get in and there is a woman’s picture and a man is driving, obviously you should get out.”
DFP Staff Writer Jessica Kribbs contributed to this report.
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