10:25 a.m. Tuesday: The Daily News Reports: "Cops are investigating whether a slew of
unattended bags found around Brooklyn yesterday afternoon was a hoax,
police sources said.
About 3 p.m., police started spotting suspicious briefcases, luggage
and duffel bags in Park Slope. A grid search of the area turned up bags
on Eighth Ave. and Carroll St. as well as spots on Union St.,
Montgomery Place and Berkeley Place. About nine bags had been found as
of last night. "The more we’re investigating them, the more we are
seeing them," a police source said.
The bags were all empty or, in at least one case, contained another
empty bag inside of it, sources said. So far, none of the bags
contained anything hazardous."
7:00 p.m. Monday
Standing in front Haggen Dazs on Seventh Avenue and President, I could see that Seventh Avenue from President to Berkeley was closed off. There was a rumor that more suitcases were found on Seventh Avenue or Union Street.
The bomb squad checked out the suitcases on Eighth Avenue and found nothing. They started open the streets but then more suitcases were found.
The whole thing was probably a hoax. Still, the police treated it very seriously and people on Carroll Street between Seventh and Eighth Avenue were not allowed on their street or into their buildings.
Anyone know more. Not much in the way of news coverae at the moment.
6:30 p.m. Monday
A suspicious suitcase was found on Eighth Avenue near Carroll
Street. The police have closed off many streets between Seventh and
Eighth Avenues. Dozens of police are in the neighborhood. Helicopters
flying overhead. Traffic has been congested on Seventh Avenue for
hours.
Got info that this might be the story:
http://www.nysun.com/article/35418 see page 3
SUSPICIOUS PACKAGES ATTRIBUTED TO HOMELESS MAN
A string of suspicious packages sighted in Park Slope on Monday were attributed to a homeless man, police officials said yesterday. Police responded to calls about 12 suspicious packages at eight locations, but found only empty suitcases. Early suspicions led some to believe the packages to be a political art project or the work of mischievous teenagers. Investigators yesterday found a woman who said she gave a homeless man all her suitcases after she saw him rooting in her garbage. Police said they believe the man deposited the suitcases on street corners and places throughout Park Slope as he walked around.”
There is a related news article at http://www.nysun.com/article/35418 see page 3
”
SUSPICIOUS PACKAGES ATTRIBUTED TO HOMELESS MAN
A string of suspicious packages sighted in Park Slope on Monday were attributed to a homeless man, police officials said yesterday. Police responded to calls about 12 suspicious packages at eight locations, but found only empty suitcases. Early suspicions led some to believe the packages to be a political art project or the work of mischievous teenagers. Investigators yesterday found a woman who said she gave a homeless man all her suitcases after she saw him rooting in her garbage. Police said they believe the man deposited the suitcases on street corners and places throughout Park Slope as he walked around.”
This news may not be accurate, perhaps it was not really a homeless man responsible, who knows. It could be viewed as a hoax, a terrorist’s dry run, or a warning with some group showing us what they could have done if they had wanted to.
Morgan Clements – Publisher TerroristWarning.com
Hoax or not, the NYPD appeared to do a fine job mobilizing a response to this incident. I surmise that once brass (and there were tons of white shirted/ties and badges brass along Eighth Ave.) determined that the incident posed no danger, they opted to carry on to gauge the department’s ability to respond to a real incident. After all, was there truly a need for dozens of ambulances to respond to the scene then circle the neighborhood, sirens and lights on? I think not.
Yet the amount of equipment responding to the scene and the number of personnel (exactly what is an ‘auxiliary’ police officer…they seemed to be present merely to direct traffic) gave on the impression of a very major incident.
The NYPD is probably supressing news coverage out of embarrassment. Nothing on NY1, NYTIMEs.com and the Brooklyn news channel (number 12 something) – and this in the land that celebrates its freedom today. So I came to Only… thinking there must be something about that bomb threat on the blog.
Still, it’s a good thing people are becoming more vigilant about packages etc. like in London.
The NYPD is probably supressing news coverage out of embarrassment. Nothing on NY1, NYTIMEs.com and the Brooklyn news channel (number 12 something) – and this in the land of that celebrates its freedom today. So I came to Only… thinking there must be something about that bomb threat on the blog.
Still, it’s a good thing people are becoming more vigilant about packages etc. like in London.
Even Prospect Park West was blocked off when we walked by. Police only said that “suspicious packages” had been found. They weren’t evacuating homes, just not allowing people back to their block, a somewhat curious mixed message.