City of Frederick, Maryland

       

 

OPERATION SAFEGUARD

RESEARCH LABORATORIES – UNIVERSITY / HIGH SCHOOL / OTHER

 

            As described in the accompanying letter, Operation SAFEGUARD is based on the idea that certain legitimate businesses and industries may be unknowingly exploited by terrorists who portray themselves as honest customers seeking to purchase, lease or somehow appropriate certain material, licenses and or services to covertly further a terrorist plot.

 

The following may be general indicators of potential terrorist planning or activities. Alone each indicator can result from legitimate recreational or commercial activities or criminal activity not related to terrorism; however, multiple indicators combined with other information can possibly suggest a terrorist threat.

 

  • Physical surveillance, which may include note taking or the use of binoculars, cameras or maps near key facilities.
  • Attempts to gain sensitive information regarding key facilities or personnel through personal contact or by telephone, mail or e-mail.
  • Attempts to penetrate or test physical security and response procedures at key facilities.
  • Attempts to improperly acquire explosives, weapons, ammunition, dangerous chemicals, flight manuals or other materials that could be used in a terrorist attack.
  • Suspicious or improper attempts to acquire official vehicles, uniforms, badges, access cards or identification for key facilities.
  • Presence of individuals who do not appear to belong in the workplace, business establishment or near a key facility.
  • Behavior which appears to denote planning for terrorist activity, such as mapping out routes, playing out scenarios, monitoring key facilities and timing traffic flow or signals.
  • Stockpiling suspicious materials or abandoning potential containers for explosives (e.g., vehicles or suitcases).

 

            The following examples of activity relating to Research Laboratories, though not fully inclusive, may be of possible concern to law enforcement:

 

  • Theft or unexplained loss of chemicals or compounds from your laboratory’s inventory that may be utilized for the manufacture of an explosive device.
  • Theft or unexplained loss of biological agents from your laboratory’s inventory that may be utilized as an agent to incapacitate or cause serious injury to the public.
  • Requests to purchase chemicals, compounds or biological agents from your laboratory.
  • Unusual inquiries from individuals concerning the storage of chemicals and bio-agents in the laboratory or how they are handled while on premises.   
  • Individuals who allege to be a hazardous waste removal or clean-up contractors and are willing to remove your used or unused chemicals from your inventory for an unusually low nominal fee or free of charge.
  • Unusual inquiries from student(s) and or individuals who ask how to make explosive or incendiary devices or question the use of bio-agents in similar devices.
  • The loss or theft of cryogenic or scintillation vials or similar tubes utilized for containment of cultures, biological or potential biological agents.
  • The significant loss or theft of decontamination liquids or agents.
  • Orders for unusual amounts of chemicals or bio-agents that do not follow the normal requisition procedures or by staff who are not authorized to make such purchases.
  • Unusual orders for substances that are not normally used in the laboratory’s customary research.
  • Individual(s) found loitering in areas where there is easy access to the labs or access to any of the hazardous materials stored in the laboratory.

·               Individual(s) found in areas restricted to only curatorial staff and not open to the general public.

·               Individual(s) videotaping, photographing or sketching the premises for no apparent reason.

·               Suspicious vehicles parked outside your establishment.

 

Your impressions and assessment based upon your professional business experience are extremely valuable and should help guide you in determining if a customer request, a fact pattern or set of circumstances is unusual.   Please remember that the conduct itself does not have to be criminal per se for you to report it to the Frederick Police Department. We may be contacted 24-hours a day, seven days a week by calling:

 

301-694-2100

 

SGT Dennis K. Dudley

Planning Division

Frederick Police Department

100 West Patrick Street

Frederick, MD 21702

301-624-1206 (Office)

301-696-2964 (FAX)