Suspicious Mail Packages

Signs of a suspicious package:

• Excessive postage or no return address.
• Stains.
• Strange odor.
• Strange sounds.
• Unexpected delivery.
• Poorly handwritten.
• Misspelled words.
• Incorrect titles or unfamiliar names: Addressed to someone who doesn’t work here.
• Protruding wires or aluminum foil: Very serious red flag.
• Powdery substance: On the outside or leaking from inside.
• Marked with strange notes: Like “Personal”, “Confidential,” or “Do not X-ray.”
• Foreign postage.

Following are recommendations for you if a suspicious package or object is encountered:

• Stay calm.
• Do not open the letter or package (or open any further), do not shake it, do not show it to others, or empty its contents.
• Do not use a cell phone as it can trigger an explosive
• Call 911 from a landline, if possible.
• If you are holding a suspicious package/object, gently set the item down on a solid surface or on the floor. If there is powder or liquid, try to set item down in a container such as a trash can or a bucket.
• Leave the immediate area and contact NIU PD.
• Evacuate others from the immediate area, if safe to do so.
• Move away from suspicious item.
• Follow police instructions.