WASHINGTON, May 14 (UPI) -- The U.S. State Department said a memorandum of understanding was signed with Boston police to cooperate on foreign law enforcement capacity.
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry signed the measure with Boston Police Department Commissioner Ed Davis. Kerry, a former U.S. senator, hails from Boston.
Chechnya-born brothers Dzhokhar and Tamerlan Tsarnaev are accused of bombings near the finish line for the Boston Marathon last month. Tamerlan Tsarnaev died after a shootout with law enforcement officers. Dzhokhar Tsarnaev was wounded and is in custody.
The Russian government alerted the FBI about Tamerlan Tsarnaev before the bombing, though U.S. law enforcement officials said he wasn't considered a threat.
U.S. lawmakers are looking for signs that domestic law enforcement agencies may have missed signs of militancy passed on by foreign counterparts.
The State Department said Boston police have a long history of building law enforcement capacity.
"Plans for this new partnership predate the marathon bombings in the secretary's hometown," the State Department said.
