Suspicious Letters, Packages, and Devices

Please familiarize yourself with these procedures so you will know how to respond should you happen to see anything you perceive as a risk to yourself or our campus.

If you receive or discover a suspicious letter, package, or device:

Do not touch it, tamper with it, or move it! 

Immediately call 6-7777 from a campus phone or 410-516-7777 from a cellphone* or off-campus phone.

*Do not use a cellphone or any radio device within 300 feet of the suspicious object.  

What constitutes a suspicious letter, package, or device?

Some typical characteristics that ought to trigger suspicion include objects that:

• Have any powdery substance on the outside.
• Are unexpected or from someone unfamiliar to you.
• Have excessive postage, handwritten or poorly typed address, incorrect titles or titles with no name, or misspellings of common words.
• Are addressed to someone no longer with your organization or are otherwise outdated.
• Have no return address or have one that can’t be verified as legitimate.
• Are of unusual weight, given their size, or are lopsided or oddly shaped.
• Have an unusual amount of tape.
• Are marked with restrictive endorsements, such as “Personal” or “Confidential.”
• Have strange odors or stains.

What to do if you receive a suspicious letter, package, or device:

• Handle it with care. Do not shake or bump it.
• Isolate it immediately.
• Do not open, smell, touch, or taste it.
• When in doubt, treat it as suspect. Notify Campus Security or Baltimore Police (911)