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Date: Wed, 26 Apr 95 10:53:04 EST
From: crimbite@MIT.EDU (Cheryl deJong Vossmer)
To: crime-alert@MIT.EDU, cp-bulletin@MIT.EDU, aac-aoquery@MIT.EDU,
        miller@MIT.EDU, kdc@MIT.EDU, news@the-tech.mit.edu, kwise@MIT.EDU,
        safety@MIT.EDU, radgrad@mitvma.mit.edu
Subject:  Letter Bomb Announcement


        Please read and forward the following information, by Chief Glavin, to your
        department.  If you would like hard copies of this special bulletin, please
        contact me at 3-9755.
        Thank You,
        Cheryl deJong Vossmer, Sgt.


TO:             The MIT Community

FROM:           Chief Anne P. Glavin

SUBJ:           Review of Mail Bomb Prevention: Letter and Parcel 
                Bomb Recognition Points

DATE:           April 26,  1995
-------------------------------------------------------------

        SPECIAL BULLETIN

        As a result of this week's letter bomb incident in Sacramento, 
California involving a timber industry administrator,  we wish to review 
cautionary information which we have previously distributed concerning 
letter bombs. 

        As previously stated, while the likelihood of your ever receiving a 
bomb in the mail is remote, in light of this week's incident and the 
string of past incidents since 1978 (including two  letter bomb 
incidents at the University of California and Yale) we are advising the 
community to be cautious when examining incoming mail.  Keep in mind 
that a bomb can be enclosed in either a parcel or an envelope, and its 
outward appearance is limited only by the imagination of the sender.

        Since mail bombs have some unique characteristics, the following 
information is being provided to help assist you in identifying a 
suspect mailing.  This information has been compiled with information 
obtained from the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the International 
Association of Bomb Technicians and Investigators.

                LETTER AND PARCEL BOMB RECOGNITION POINTS

        *       Mail bombs may bear restricted endorsements such as "Personal" or 
"Private".  This factor is important when the addressee does not usually 
receive personal mail at the office.


        *       Addressee's Name/title may be inaccurate.
        *       Return address may be fictious.
        *       Mail bombs may reflect distorted handwriting or the name and address 
may be prepared with homemade labels or cut-and paste lettering.
        *       Mail bombs may have protruding wires, aluminum foil, or oil stains 
and may emit a peculiar odor.
        *       Cancellation or postmark may show a different location than the 
                return address.
        *       Mail bombs may feel rigid, or appear uneven or lopsided.
        *       Parcel bombs may be unprofessionally wrapped with several 
combinations of tape used to secure the package and may be endorsed 
"Fragile-Handle With Care" or "Rush - Do Not Delay".
        *       Package bombs may have an irregular shape, soft spots or bulges.  
There may also be excessive or uneven weight distribution.
        *       Package bombs may make a buzzing or ticking noise or a sloshing 
sound.
        *       Pressure or resistance may be noted when removing contents from an 
envelope or parcel.

IF YOU ARE SUSPICIOUS OF A MAILING AND ARE UNABLE TO VERIFY THE CONTENTS 
WITH THE ADDRESSEE OR SENDER:

        1.      Do not open the article (or squeeze, drop, prod or push it)
        2.      Isolate the mailing but DO NOT place it in a confined space such as 
a desk drawer.
        3.      Notify the MIT Campus Police immediately: DIAL "100" from an MIT 
phone or 253-1212 from a pay phone.
                


        If you have any questions concerning the above guidelines or suspicious 
mail, please contact the MIT Campus Police Special Services Division at 
258-9724.