By Kallee Nielsen
Recently the postal service has become the vehicle of choice to launch the new weapon of choice: anthrax bacteria.
The weaponized bacteria has made its way into Nevada, New York and Florida in a matter of weeks.
Although University Police say the chances that BYU will suffer an anthrax attack is low, they are taking some precautionary measures.
On Tuesday, University Police issued instructions for handling suspicious mail for BYU students, staff and faculty.
“We”re telling people that if they do receive anything suspicious, they should immediately contact us, leave the room and clear the area,” said Rick Moreno of the University Police.
According to police guidelines, suspicious mail includes packages and letters with excessive postage, no return address, protruding wires or aluminum foil or excessive weight.
People should also be wary of mail in which the city or state of the postmark does not match the return address, Moreno said.
The police have investigated a few parcels in question, but they have all proved to be false alarms, he said.
According to Moreno, one woman recently called the police about a suspicious package with a return address she didn”t recognize.
It turned out the package contained a Beenie Baby a friend purchased on E-bay and sent to her as a gift, he said.
Even though it was a false alarm, Moreno said it”s better to be cautious than careless.
“We take all of the reported incidences very seriously,” he said. Provo Police issued similar warnings, instructing individuals receiving mail they think may contain a suspicious substance not to clean any powder up or brush of their clothes and to wash their hands with soap and water.
Karen Mayne of the Prove Police Department said there is now more intense protocol for handling suspicious mail in post offices and police stations.
The U.S. Postal Service now features a warning message about anthrax at the beginning of their national phone service.
“The simple act of paying attention to your incoming mail is the best way to keep the mail safe,” the postal service advises.
Moreno said anthrax is not limited to mail and could show up anywhere, even in a backpack or briefcase.
Moreno said such are common items people have asked them to check out.
