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| Bombs and Bomb Threats |
American police officers have been pretty lucky in respect to bombs and bombers in comparison to a country
like Israel where every generation of its citizens and police officers have dealt with bombings on massive levels
since the country's inception. Sure, America has had, and continues to have, its own home grown terrorists
with the bombers among them, but Americans don't board a bus everyday and scan the passengers, profile if
you will, for bomb carrying terrorists.
During the many years I spent on the street, I never encountered a bomb more sophisticated than a Molotov
cocktail, but I sure handled a lot of bomb threats. When you begin your police career, you can be certain that
you'll eventually be assigned to handle a bomb threat incident. You may also be surprised how simple your
responsibilities will be. Aside from making proper notifications within your chain of command, your biggest
responsibility may be establishing a perimeter a safe distance away from the alleged location of a bomb. Or...
you might respond to a public school for a bomb threat, and the Principal informs you that no evacuation will be
conducted.
A lot of new police officers are surprised by their lack of authority when it comes to most bomb threat
incidents. Obviously, as a police officer, you have a great deal of authority in any situation where you have
probable cause to act. In most bomb threat incidents, however, the initial information will be vague and
usually delivered by telephone. Let's look at the public school incident where the principal tells you he'll have
a cursory search conducted, but he won't evacuate the school. It turns out that this is the third threat received
over a period of two weeks, and the Principal has determined that the motive of the caller is to simply disrupt
classes. Since there is no exigent circumstance existing for you to overrule the Principal, you wait for the
results of the search.
During the search, one of the teachers finds a package beneath her desk. The package is the shape and size of
a shoe box wrapped in brown paper with no markings. Here's where you exercise your authority. You now
have a suspicious package along with the threat. You ensure that nobody touches the package, and you order
an immediate evacuation of the school. Once you've cleared the school, the package is now the responsibility
of those trained in bomb disposal.
In this scenario, the package turns out to be a hoax. The package, which is a shoe box, contains a brick with a
note attached saying, "BOOM." While there was never any danger to anyone, you acted properly, and you now
have some physical evidence to aid in the investigation of the threats. Or... the package was inadvertently left
beneath the desk the day before by a substitute teacher. The teacher had wrapped the package for mailing, but
she'd not yet affixed a mailing label. In any case, during your investigation, the package was suspicious
dictating the actions you took. Or – the third possibility – the package contained a real bomb.
You may be surprised to learn that, in locations which are not under your direct responsibility, you will not be
able to force searches or evacuations based on mere threats. Let's say you receive a bomb threat call for a
"car bomb." The caller gives the location and a complete description of the car, and you find the car parked on
a residential street. You immediately arrange for roadblocks to prevent any vehicular or pedestrian traffic
from entering the area. Officers are knocking on doors directing residents to evacuate the area. You knock
on the door of the residence directly in front of the parked car. A woman answers the door, and she listens to
you briefly, before she tells you to take a hike and slams the door in your face. Okay, I made her reaction a
little extreme to make this point; she doesn't have to evacuate her home if she doesn't want to leave. You
can't always make a person act in his or her best interest; unless, that person is in your custody. Let's say this
woman is sitting in her parked car on the street a short distance from the alleged "car bomb." This time you
order the woman to evacuate the area by either walking or driving beyond the nearest roadblock. If she
refuses this time, she's subject to arrest for failing to obey your lawful order. What's the difference? While
you couldn't order her out of her home, you can certainly order her movement on the street under the
prevailing circumstance.
You often see the problems with evacuations associated with natural disasters like hurricanes and wild fires. A
mayor or governor will issue a "mandatory evacuation" order which is not really mandatory; it's simply a
really strong appeal to people to evacuate. However, once the people are away from their homes or businesses,
police will have total control over when and how those people may return.
If you're lucky, you'll never encounter a sophisticated bomb during your career. However, if you're on the
street for any length of time, you'll likely have some experience with the Molotov cocktail.
While the Molotov cocktail is not a sophisticated bomb, it can be highly destructive and deadly. The destructive
potential of a Molotov can be enhanced by any individual who does just a small amount of research, and it has
long been the bomb of choice for street level thugs. Fortunately, some thugs are morons as well. I once
responded for a bombing where the suspect threw a Molotov through the front window of a residence. No
explosion ensued, because the suspect constructed the Molotov using a plastic bottle. In another incident, the
suspect(s) used a soft drink can. While the ignorance of a criminal is a good thing, you cannot count on a
criminal's poor bomb making skills.
Bombs are simply insidiously deadly and destructive devices used by terrorists and other criminals to kill and
maim. Your best defense against bombs and bombers will always be your vigilance and developing your sense
of never taking anything for granted.
like Israel where every generation of its citizens and police officers have dealt with bombings on massive levels
since the country's inception. Sure, America has had, and continues to have, its own home grown terrorists
with the bombers among them, but Americans don't board a bus everyday and scan the passengers, profile if
you will, for bomb carrying terrorists.
During the many years I spent on the street, I never encountered a bomb more sophisticated than a Molotov
cocktail, but I sure handled a lot of bomb threats. When you begin your police career, you can be certain that
you'll eventually be assigned to handle a bomb threat incident. You may also be surprised how simple your
responsibilities will be. Aside from making proper notifications within your chain of command, your biggest
responsibility may be establishing a perimeter a safe distance away from the alleged location of a bomb. Or...
you might respond to a public school for a bomb threat, and the Principal informs you that no evacuation will be
conducted.
A lot of new police officers are surprised by their lack of authority when it comes to most bomb threat
incidents. Obviously, as a police officer, you have a great deal of authority in any situation where you have
probable cause to act. In most bomb threat incidents, however, the initial information will be vague and
usually delivered by telephone. Let's look at the public school incident where the principal tells you he'll have
a cursory search conducted, but he won't evacuate the school. It turns out that this is the third threat received
over a period of two weeks, and the Principal has determined that the motive of the caller is to simply disrupt
classes. Since there is no exigent circumstance existing for you to overrule the Principal, you wait for the
results of the search.
During the search, one of the teachers finds a package beneath her desk. The package is the shape and size of
a shoe box wrapped in brown paper with no markings. Here's where you exercise your authority. You now
have a suspicious package along with the threat. You ensure that nobody touches the package, and you order
an immediate evacuation of the school. Once you've cleared the school, the package is now the responsibility
of those trained in bomb disposal.
In this scenario, the package turns out to be a hoax. The package, which is a shoe box, contains a brick with a
note attached saying, "BOOM." While there was never any danger to anyone, you acted properly, and you now
have some physical evidence to aid in the investigation of the threats. Or... the package was inadvertently left
beneath the desk the day before by a substitute teacher. The teacher had wrapped the package for mailing, but
she'd not yet affixed a mailing label. In any case, during your investigation, the package was suspicious
dictating the actions you took. Or – the third possibility – the package contained a real bomb.
You may be surprised to learn that, in locations which are not under your direct responsibility, you will not be
able to force searches or evacuations based on mere threats. Let's say you receive a bomb threat call for a
"car bomb." The caller gives the location and a complete description of the car, and you find the car parked on
a residential street. You immediately arrange for roadblocks to prevent any vehicular or pedestrian traffic
from entering the area. Officers are knocking on doors directing residents to evacuate the area. You knock
on the door of the residence directly in front of the parked car. A woman answers the door, and she listens to
you briefly, before she tells you to take a hike and slams the door in your face. Okay, I made her reaction a
little extreme to make this point; she doesn't have to evacuate her home if she doesn't want to leave. You
can't always make a person act in his or her best interest; unless, that person is in your custody. Let's say this
woman is sitting in her parked car on the street a short distance from the alleged "car bomb." This time you
order the woman to evacuate the area by either walking or driving beyond the nearest roadblock. If she
refuses this time, she's subject to arrest for failing to obey your lawful order. What's the difference? While
you couldn't order her out of her home, you can certainly order her movement on the street under the
prevailing circumstance.
You often see the problems with evacuations associated with natural disasters like hurricanes and wild fires. A
mayor or governor will issue a "mandatory evacuation" order which is not really mandatory; it's simply a
really strong appeal to people to evacuate. However, once the people are away from their homes or businesses,
police will have total control over when and how those people may return.
If you're lucky, you'll never encounter a sophisticated bomb during your career. However, if you're on the
street for any length of time, you'll likely have some experience with the Molotov cocktail.
While the Molotov cocktail is not a sophisticated bomb, it can be highly destructive and deadly. The destructive
potential of a Molotov can be enhanced by any individual who does just a small amount of research, and it has
long been the bomb of choice for street level thugs. Fortunately, some thugs are morons as well. I once
responded for a bombing where the suspect threw a Molotov through the front window of a residence. No
explosion ensued, because the suspect constructed the Molotov using a plastic bottle. In another incident, the
suspect(s) used a soft drink can. While the ignorance of a criminal is a good thing, you cannot count on a
criminal's poor bomb making skills.
Bombs are simply insidiously deadly and destructive devices used by terrorists and other criminals to kill and
maim. Your best defense against bombs and bombers will always be your vigilance and developing your sense
of never taking anything for granted.
The Molotov cocktail, also known as the petrol bomb, gasoline bomb, or Molotov bomb, is a
generic name used for a variety of improvised incendiary weapons. Simple to make, they
are frequently used by rioters. The bombs were derisively named after Soviet Union
Foreign Minister Vyacheslav Molotov by the Finns during the Winter War.
generic name used for a variety of improvised incendiary weapons. Simple to make, they
are frequently used by rioters. The bombs were derisively named after Soviet Union
Foreign Minister Vyacheslav Molotov by the Finns during the Winter War.
Bomb Threats and Physical Security Planning - Most of the bomb threats you'll be
handling will be directed toward commercial or public premises where management will have the
responsibility to determine the processes for searches and evacuations. This document provides a
good reference for any manager developing a bomb threat procedure. It will also give you insight for
providing procedural advice to managers of businesses in your area of patrol
handling will be directed toward commercial or public premises where management will have the
responsibility to determine the processes for searches and evacuations. This document provides a
good reference for any manager developing a bomb threat procedure. It will also give you insight for
providing procedural advice to managers of businesses in your area of patrol
"On a warm September day in 1920, a few months after the arrest of his comrades Sacco and Vanzetti, a
vengeful Italian anarchist named Mario Buda parked his horse-drawn wagon near the corner of Wall and
Broad Streets, directly across from J. P. Morgan Company. He nonchalantly climbed down and
disappeared, unnoticed, into the lunchtime crowd. A few blocks away, a startled postal worker found
strange leaflets warning: "Free the Political Prisoners or it will be Sure Death for All of You!" They were
signed: "American Anarchist Fighters." The bells of nearby Trinity Church began to toll at noon. When
they stopped, the wagon -- packed with dynamite and iron slugs -- exploded in a fireball of shrapnel."
vengeful Italian anarchist named Mario Buda parked his horse-drawn wagon near the corner of Wall and
Broad Streets, directly across from J. P. Morgan Company. He nonchalantly climbed down and
disappeared, unnoticed, into the lunchtime crowd. A few blocks away, a startled postal worker found
strange leaflets warning: "Free the Political Prisoners or it will be Sure Death for All of You!" They were
signed: "American Anarchist Fighters." The bells of nearby Trinity Church began to toll at noon. When
they stopped, the wagon -- packed with dynamite and iron slugs -- exploded in a fireball of shrapnel."
In the short time it will take to read this article, you'll learn a lot about car bombs. The depressing
reality is that car bombs have and will continue to spread devastation across the world. Even more
depressing is the car bomb's potential to become a weapon of ever increasing mass destruction.
reality is that car bombs have and will continue to spread devastation across the world. Even more
depressing is the car bomb's potential to become a weapon of ever increasing mass destruction.