Does This Make You Feel Safer?

Not a rhetorical question -- I'm truly curious. From the Times:

In the first counterterrorism strategy of its kind in the nation, roving teams of New York City police officers armed with automatic rifles and accompanied by bomb-sniffing dogs will patrol the city’s subway system daily, beginning next month, officials said on Friday.

Then again, maybe it's not supposed to make us feel safer, or even make us actually safer. For what I mean by that odd proposition, see Corey Robin, Fear; Susan Faludi, The Terror Dream; and Naomi Klein, The Shock Doctrine. Three thoughtful and provocative recent books.