FBI and U.S. Postal Inspection Service Announce Reward for Information Leading to the Arrest and Conviction of the Person(s) Responsible for the Recent Mailings of White Powder Letters in the North Texas Area

Kevin F. Kolbye, Acting Special Agent in Charge, Dallas, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and Randall C. Till, Inspector in Charge, Fort Worth Division, U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), announce a reward of up to $150,000 for information leading to the identification, arrest, prosecution, and conviction of the person(s) responsible for the recent mailings of letters containing white powder in the Dallas/Fort Worth area. The reward flyer is posted below.

During the week of May 7, 2012, over 20 letters containing white powder were received by early childhood development centers, elementary schools, and an aerospace-related business. These letters were received in Texas and several other states. The FBI, USPIS, local law enforcement, and local fire department hazardous materials teams responded to each location and field screened the letters for the presence of toxins or poisons. To date, none of the mailings have contained hazardous materials.

Each letter was sent through the U.S. mail and featured a postmark from North Texas. It is highly likely these letters were sent by the same person responsible for mailing over 380 letters, beginning in late 2008, each of which contained a non-hazardous substance. This person has sent letters to elementary, middle, and high schools; day care centers; churches; government offices; U.S. Embassies abroad; restaurants; and other private businesses. A sample letter is posted below.

The author has and continues to reference subjects such as al Qaeda and the Nazi SS, which is believed to have been included for shock value rather than to express any sincere sympathy or affiliation. In a recent letter, he used the terms “Scooby Doo” and “triple dealer spy” and made reference to CIA counterintelligence and FBI internal affairs.

The sender has taken steps to conceal his activities and prevent law enforcement from finding physical evidence of his crimes, including his fingerprints. A flyer announcing the reward along with possible details about the subject has been posted on the Dallas FBI website (www.fbi.gov/dallas) and on the USPIS website (postalinspectors.uspis.gov).

Although mail is screened for toxic substances prior to delivery, the public is reminded to take the following precautions should they open a piece of mail with a powdery substance in it.

1.Leave the immediate area where the powder was spilled but keep yourself separated from individuals who have not been exposed to the powder. Do not attempt to clean up the powder and do not move the letter. Isolate the area where the spill has occurred.

2.Wash hands immediately.

3.Call 911 and advise them of the receipt of the mailing.

4.Remember, all instances of white powder in this matter have tested negative for a toxic substance. The white powder, however, should still be handled with caution until verification of its lack of toxicity is received.

Anyone with information concerning these letters should contact the FBI at 1-800-CALL FBI (1-800-225-5324) or by visiting https://tips.fbi.gov.

Negative Results in Reported White Powder Letters

The FBI, working with Portland Fire Bureau, Portland Police Bureau, and the Port of Portland, is investigating two incidents involving reported white powder letters received late Wednesday (May 9, 2012) afternoon. Preliminary field tests by Portland Fire Bureau showed that neither letter contained a toxic substance. The FBI has taken custody of both letters and transported them to the Oregon State Public Health Laboratory for confirmatory testing. That testing will take up to five days.

The first letter was received at the Port of Portland administrative offices. The second was received at the Hilton Hotel.

A third letter was received on Tuesday, May 8, 2012 at the Lloyd Center mall. Preliminary tests on that third letter were also negative, and it is also undergoing testing at the Public Health Laboratory.

The FBI is investigating all three incidents, but, at this time, it is too early to determine whether the incidents are connected.

“The FBI takes all white powder threats—including those that turn out to be hoaxes—very seriously,” said Beth Anne Steele, spokesperson for the FBI in Oregon. “Anyone who sends a threat such as these can expect us to investigate thoroughly and aggressively.”

Due to the on-going nature of these investigations, no further information will be released at this time.

Indictment Filed Against Portland-Area Resident in Connection with Mass Mailing of Letters Containing White Powder

PORTLAND, OR—A federal grand jury sitting in Portland, Oregon returned an indictment today charging Christopher Lee Carlson, 39, of the Portland-Vancouver area with two criminal offenses. The indictment arises out of an investigation into the mailing of approximately 100 envelopes containing white powder and threatening letters to members of the U.S. Congress and certain members of the news media. The letters were postmarked in Portland, Oregon.

The indictment charges Carlson with one count of mailing a threatening communication to a member of Congress and one count of mailing a letter threatening to use a biological weapon to a U.S. senator. Carlson is presently in custody. It is expected that he will be arraigned in federal court on Monday, March 12, 2012.

Over the past few weeks, the lead investigative agencies, including the FBI, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and the U.S. Capitol Police, have recovered more than 100 threatening letters sent to U.S. senators and U.S. representatives. To date, all letters have tested negative for toxic substances.

“Anyone who sends threatening letters to government officials should expect to be found, arrested, and prosecuted,” said U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon S. Amanda Marshall.

“Threatening letters—whether hoax or real—are serious concerns that federal law enforcement agencies will aggressively pursue,” said Greg Fowler, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI in Oregon. “We want to thank our partners at the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the U.S. Capitol Police who worked with us day-in and day-out for the past two weeks to bring this case to this resolution.”

U.S. Postal Inspection Service Inspector in Charge, Bradley Kleinknecht stated, “The U.S. Postal Inspection Service is dedicated to safeguarding the U.S. Mail to protect employees, customers, and the American public.”

An indictment is only an allegation of a crime, and every defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty. Under U.S. Department of Justice regulations, no photo will be released. No further information is available at this time.

On Guard Against WMD: Inside the Biological Countermeasures Unit, Part 2

Part 2 of an interview with Special Agent Edward You of the Biological Countermeasures Unit in the Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) Directorate.

Q: What other responsibilities do WMD coordinators have?

Mr. You: At the local level, WMD coordinators act as resources for our partners, and they also engage in threat assessments and investigations. Coordinators are dedicated professionals who have their own career path within the FBI, and they go through an extensive training and certification program. With regard to training, we have partnered with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to provide training locally, regionally, and internationally. We are able to educate the scientific community about threats and provide situational awareness about security issues that may not have been considered. In turn, the scientific community advises law enforcement about the current state of the field and assists us in identifying over-the-horizon risks. The life sciences field is advancing so rapidly that it is difficult to stay current. We rely on the expertise of our business and academic partners to ensure that our agency is addressing issues appropriately and effectively. Synthetic biology is a case in point.

Q: What is synthetic biology?

Mr. You: It is the application of engineering and computer science principles to the life sciences. It is an evolutionary step in techniques in DNA sequencing and synthesis that are used to modify naturally occurring organisms, such as yeast and bacteria, and “reprogram” them to impart novel functions not normally found in nature. For example, synthetic biology allows you to program bacteria to efficiently produce bio-diesel fuel, medicines, and building materials.

Q: Why is synthetic biology important in terms of WMD?

Mr. You: Consider a company that produces synthetic DNA. They have the ability to generate the necessary genetic information to potentially produce bacteria and viruses, even high-consequence biological agents—such as Ebola or Bacillus anthracis (anthrax)—that are regulated by the U.S. government. Companies have adopted screening measures to prevent uncertified individuals from purchasing genetic information for these high-consequence agents. Through our outreach efforts and subsequent federal guidance, companies now know to contact our WMD coordinators when they encounter suspicious orders. The FBI can conduct further assessments, provide information back to the companies, and initiate investigations if warranted. As a result, industry was very happy to have a vehicle for reporting and vetting suspicious activity. We really filled a need with this program, and it has been very successful.

Q: How will you continue to be successful going forward?

Mr. You: We will continue working with industry and the scientific community. Because we provide a service and act as a resource for our partners, our outreach has grown at a rapid pace—we can’t keep up with demand in terms of speaking engagements we are invited to or contributions to biosecurity policymaking. When we started our outreach program five years ago, we were out knocking on doors in the scientific community, trying to spread our message. Now they are inviting us in. They obviously they see the value of what we’re doing to protect the public and the scientific process.

On Guard Against WMD: Inside the Biological Countermeasures Unit, Part 1

In 2006, to counter the threat posed by weapons of mass destruction (WMD), the FBI established the WMD Directorate. The directorate combines law enforcement investigative authorities, intelligence analysis capabilities, and technical subject matter expertise in a coordinated approach to deal with incidents involving nuclear, radiological, biological, or chemical weapons. The organization places substantial emphasis on preventing such incidents.

FBI.gov recently spoke with Special Agent Edward You in the directorate’s Biological Countermeasures Unit (BCU).

Q: What is your unit’s primary mission?

Mr. You: Just like our partner units who also work in countermeasures dealing with chemicals, radiological and nuclear material and infrastructure protection, our goal is to prevent acts of terrorism. In our case, that means bio-terrorism. But we must do that in a way that strikes a balance between security and supporting advances in scientific research and protecting public safety. Bio-security, from our standpoint, is preventing the illicit acquisition or misuse of the technologies, practices, and materials associated with biological sciences. We are also charged with protecting scientists and the institutions where they work.

Q: What are the primary biological WMD risks?

Mr. You: Laboratory techniques for biological materials are publicly available in scientific journals and elsewhere, which represent a ready source of knowledge for creating and manipulating these materials. Biological agents such as viruses, bacteria, and toxins are also widely available and used in companies, universities, and other institutions. These include materials that could have devastating effects on the public if released, such as avian influenza or Bacillus anthracis spores (anthrax). These things are also naturally occurring in the environment. Both the methods and the materials are critical for scientific research and the development of beneficial products. But we also recognize that the materials could be exploited or subverted for terrorist or criminal acts. We conduct outreach to try to make people aware of these risks.

Q: How important are partnerships between law enforcement and the medical and scientific community?

Mr. You: They are essential. We have a joint criminal-epidemiological investigation model, which is how law enforcement works together with public health entities to quickly assess an unusual disease outbreak to determine if it is naturally occurring or was started intentionally. The partnership is critical to ensure rapid sharing of information to guide the appropriate investigative steps and responses. All these efforts address the shared goal of protecting public health and safety—again, without hindering scientific progress.

Q: What is your primary means of conducting outreach?

Mr. You: We provide opportunities for the scientific community to meet directly with our law enforcement representatives—our WMD coordinators. These are the FBI’s subject matter experts, local points of contact, and really the keystone of the entire program. Each of our 56 field offices nationwide has at least one of these special agent coordinators trained in the various WMD modalities. They are the focal point for state and local law enforcement and public health officials. Coordinators conduct outreach and liaison development with academia, institutions, industry contacts, and other organizations. Our unit at FBI Headquarters manages the outreach program at the national level. We facilitate meetings between our coordinators and members of the biological sciences community, provide a mutual understanding of bio-security from a law enforcement perspective, and foster partnerships nationwide. We are also branching out internationally, with WMD personnel in Eastern Europe, Singapore, and at Interpol in France.

Next: Training, tripwires, and more.

Denver Man Pleads Guilty to Providing False Information Related to a Terrorism Offense

DENVER—Matthew O’Neill, aka Matt O’Neill, age 52, of Kremmling, Colorado, pled guilty earlier this week to one count of providing false information related to a terrorism offense, U.S. Attorney John Walsh, FBI Denver Special Agent in Charge James Yacone, and Acting U.S. Postal Inspector in Charge Tommy Coke announced today. O’Neill, who was originally charged by criminal complaint on May 27, 2011 and indicted by a federal grand jury on June 6, 2011, will be sentenced on June 4, 2012 at 1:30 p.m. by U.S. District Court Judge Marcia S. Krieger.

According to the stipulated facts contained in the plea agreement, on May 25, 2011, a mail room employee with the Colorado Department of Revenue received a legal-sized manila envelope with a return address of “M. O’Neill . . . Kremmling CO”. It was mailed to the “State of Colorado; Colorado Dept of Revenue; 1375 Sherman Street; Denver, CO.” The envelope had postal markings on it indicating that the envelope went through the mail, originating from the U.S. Post Office in Kremmling, Colorado. The mail room employee opened the envelope, stapled documents that were inside the envelope, and routed it to the intended recipient. This process was common for how the Colorado Department of Revenue handled mailed. The recipient placed the envelope on her desk, at which point an unidentified white powder fell out of the envelope onto the desk. The Revenue employee then took the contents to another person’s office. Together they set it on the desk, left the office and locked the door. They then notified the floor manager who immediately contacted the Colorado State Patrol and 911. Believing they had both been exposed to some kind of harmful chemical or biological substance, the two attempted to decontaminate themselves by washing their hands. They then waited for the Denver Fire Department and the Hazardous Material (HAZMAT) team. The building was subsequently evacuated.

The Denver Fire Department’s HAZMAT team entered the building, utilizing proper protective equipment to maintain their safety while dealing with an unknown hazardous material. The team field tested the powder in the envelope, which turned out to be sodium bicarbonate (baking soda). The Department of Revenue’s intended recipient was interviewed and stated that O’Neill has sent several documents that express his views as a sovereign citizen, and that he believes that he does not have to pay state or federal taxes. She further stated that she felt threatened by the contents of the envelope, fearing that the white powder was some sort of harmful substance.

The FBI and a U.S. Postal Inspector interviewed a U.S. Postal employee in Kremmling, Colorado. The postal employee stated that on May 17, 2011, O’Neil was in the facility, filled out documents for certified or registered mail. He then left and re-entered several times before finally mailing the envelope.

O’Neill was questioned on May 31, 2011 by law enforcement. During that interview it was determined that he mailed the package with white powder with hopes of leading the Department of Revenue to believe they were receiving a dangerous biological or chemical agent.

“Those who mail a threat, especially one containing material simulating a biological or chemical agent, will face felony criminal consequences,” said U.S. Attorney John Walsh.

“All threatening communications are taken seriously, the recipient of these types of threats cannot determine the true nature of the implied, or stated danger,” said FBI Denver Special Agent in Charge James Yacone. “The FBI wants to remind everyone that mailing a threatening communication that contains a hoax of any kind in a parcel will be aggressively investigated. We will continue to respond to such threats, along with our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners, through the combined resources of the Joint Terrorism Task Force.”

Though the powder contained in the mailing was not harmful, the threatening mailings not only constitute a federal crime, but cause alarm to victims and victim institutions,” said Denver Division Acting Postal Inspector in Charge Tommy Coke. “Postal Inspectors will continue to ensure the safety of the U.S. Mail through aggressive investigation of anyone who mails these types of threats—real or hoax.”

O’Neill faces not more than five years in federal prison, and up to a $250,000 fine.

This case was investigated by the FBI, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and the Colorado State Patrol through their investigators assigned to the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force.

O’Neill is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Barrett.

ChemBio Weapons and WMD Terrorism News- January 9, 2008

New York Presses To Deploy More Bioweapons Sensors

“[New York] City officials last month quietly activated some of the nation's newest generation of early warning sensors to detect a biological attack, turning on a limited number of filing-cabinet-size air filters in sensitive, high-volume areas of Manhattan. But city officials say their effort to expand the program has run into surprising resistance from the White House, which is not widely deploying the machines. Five years ago, officials here note, the Bush administration was prodding local authorities to move faster to detect the use of biological weapons and pouring billions into biosecurity-related initiatives. New York's leaders now say the administration's enthusiasm and sense of urgency has flagged in its final year in office.” (Washington Post, 09Jan08; Spencer S. Hsu) http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/01/08/AR2008010803892.html?hpid=topnews

Will ‘NIMBY’ Syndrome Kill N.C. [North Carolina]’s Chances for Bioterror Lab?

“Tuesday’s news that the Granville County [North Carolina] Board of Commissioners has pulled support for building a bioterrorism lab near Butner is bad news for the project. The NIMBY syndrome – as in ‘not in my back yard’ – will chill local and state efforts to win the $450 million project and the hundreds of scientific research jobs that go with it. However, […] federal officials are at fault for not helping to allay people’s concerns about the project. ‘Homeland Security is not talking to people, not answering their questions,’ local resident John Monroe [said]. Have concerns about the project? Go to our Web site, said Homeland Security. Poor communication about what exactly the project is – and how dangerous it could be – could very well throw North Carolina’s extensive recruitment efforts into turmoil.” (WRAL LocalTechWire.com, 09Jan08, Rick Smith)
http://www.localtechwire.com/business/local_tech_wire/opinion/blogpost/2275140/

Lab electrician contends firing was retaliatory

“A former electrician at Rocky Mountain Laboratories in Hamilton [Montana] is alleging that he was fired last spring after lodging complaints about safety breaches at the research facility, which is building a lab to study dangerous diseases such as Ebola. The matter goes before a federal administrative judge in Missoula today for a two-day hearing to determine if managers fired the man as punishment for being a whistle-blower. Rick Hurley, a licensed master electrician who has worked for the federal government for more than 20 years, filed a whistle-blower complaint in March 2006. The National Institutes of Health, which ultimately oversees the lab, issued a statement Monday saying officials investigated all of Hurley's complaints regarding electrical safety at the lab and found them baseless. […] At issue in today's hearing is not whether Hurley's allegations are true, but if the lab was right to fire him and whether managers did so in retaliation for his allegations. The hearing is a result of Hurley's appealing his April 2007 termination.” (Billings Gazette, 07Jan08, Jennifer McKee) http://www.billingsgazette.net/articles/2008/01/08/news/state/24-electrician.txt

The growing number of immunocompromised

“It's estimated that about 10 million people in the United States (3.6 percent of the population) are immunocompromised. But that's likely an underestimate because it only includes those with HIV/AIDS (diagnosed and undiagnosed), organ transplant recipients, and cancer patients; there's a sizable population that takes immunosuppressive drugs for other disorders such as rheumatoid arthritis and inflammatory bowel disease. This is a concern because while modern medicine allows many immunocompromised individuals to live longer, they're at an increased risk for acquiring and spreading infections to others. […] Agents of bioterrorism such as smallpox also pose a great risk to the immunocompromised, who are ineligible for the smallpox vaccine because it contains an active (although weakened) virus that could cause a deadly adverse reaction.”
(Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, 07Jan08, Laura H. Kahn) http://www.thebulletin.org/columns/laura-kahn/20080107.html

Oregon commission reopens public testimony on Umatilla waste

“In response to a lawsuit, the Oregon Environmental Quality Commission voted Tuesday to reopen public comment on the disposal of secondary waste from the destruction of aging chemical weapons stored at the Umatilla Chemical Depot near Hermiston. The waste includes plastic protective suits used by workers and contaminated carbon filters from the incinerators used to destroy the stockpile of Cold War chemical weapons at the Army depot in Eastern Oregon. The Government Accountability Project, based in Washington, D.C., won a ruling in April in Multnomah County Circuit Court in Portland ordering the state to review the ‘best available technology’
for disposing of secondary waste.” (OregonLive.com, 08Jan08, AP) http://www.oregonlive.com/newsflash/index.ssf?/base/news-22/1199832242189460.xml&storylist=orlocal

Army Corps hopes to resume chemical munitions dig

“The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is awaiting a safety board's approval to resume digging for buried chemical munitions near American University [Washington, D.C.]. Army Corps officials say they stopped digging in early December after the discovery of a shell that was configured to explode. Project manager Dan Noble says it's only the second explosively configured munition found in 15 years of digging for World War I munitions buried in the area. In a meeting with nearby residents late Tuesday, officials said the shell did not have a fuse attached, making the chance of an explosion highly unlikely. The Army operated a chemical warfare station at the university to develop and test weapons during the war. Munitions were buried behind the campus when the Army left decades ago.” (Examiner.com, 09Jan08)
http://www.examiner.com/a-1146999~Army_Corps_hopes_to_resume_chemical_munitions_dig.html

Feds, farm groups working to improve security of high-risk farm chemicals

“The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is working to make the screening process regarding chemical security regulations more appropriate for farmers. The department recently announced a delay that exempts farmers and other agricultural facilities from having to complete the vulnerability screening, which has caused some confusion about who should complete the screening and who is exempt. The screening will help DHS determine if it needs to follow up with individuals to do further vulnerability assessments, according to a university report. ‘The system that is in place for chemical manufacturing, refining and distribution plants is not ideal for farm operations,’ says Purdue University Extension Disaster Education Network communication specialist and field staff liaison Steve Cain. ‘The U.S. Department of Agriculture, the Extension Disaster Education Network (EDEN) and farm organizations will work with the department to help develop a system more appropriate for agriculture.’” (Agriculture Online, 09Jan08) http://www.agriculture.com/ag/story.jhtml?storyid=/templatedata/ag/story/data/1199892909300.xml

Poison sent to councillor 'strong enough to kill'

“The poison in a vodka bottle sent to a Blackburn [U.K.] councillor as part of a campaign for Scottish independence was strong enough to kill him, a court heard. Wayne Cook, 45, is on trial at the court charged with two counts of using noxious substances or things to cause harm and intimidate, under anti-terrorism legislation. The unemployed father-of-three is accused of sending a miniature bottle of vodka filled with caustic soda to Darwen councillor John Wright in April 2007 while another parcel with the same contents was posted to a Scottish journalist, Myra Philp. […] It is alleged that the parcels were sent as part of a campaign by the Scottish National Liberation Army (SNLA) to force the British Government out of Scotland. Cook denies the charges.” (Blackburn Citizen, 09Jan08, Telegraph Newsdesk) http://www.blackburncitizen.co.uk/news/newsheadlines/display.var.1953786.0.poison_sent_to_councillor_strong_enought_to_kill.php

Congress Calls for Outside Look at Radiation Detectors

“The omnibus spending bill passed late last year by Congress has placed additional hurdles in front of the Homeland Security Department’s drive to roll out next-generation radiation detectors at U.S. ports, including demanding an outside scientific evaluation of the technology. The new requirements are just the latest development in a more than yearlong battle between the Government Accountability Office, lawmakers and DHS officials over the efficacy of the new technology and the way in which the department has tested it. The new detectors, called Advanced Spectroscopic Portal monitors (or ASPs), are designed to not only detect radiation but to identify the nature of its source, eliminating the need for time-consuming secondary inspections to determine whether the material is innocuous or dangerous. A number of mundane items regularly shipped into the United States, including ceramic tiles and bananas, contain radioactive isotopes that can set off the radiation detectors.” (Global Security Newswire, 09Jan08, Jon Fox)
http://www.nti.org/d_newswire/issues/2008_1_9.html#65053A68

Press candidates on threat of nuclear terrorism, two say

“Voters should press the presidential candidates to say what they would do, if elected, to prevent terrorists from carrying out a nuclear attack in the U.S., an expert on nuclear terrorism and the daughter of a victim of the Sept. 11 attacks said Tuesday. Michael Hurley, a counter terrorism advisor to the Nuclear Threat Initiative and a senior staff member to the
911 Commission, and Carie Lemack, founder of Families of September 11, commended efforts since the 2001 attacks to avoid a promised al-Qaida-led nuclear attack on the nation, but they said more can be done.” (Arkansas News Bureau, 09Jan08, Rob Moritz) http://www.arkansasnews.com/archive/2008/01/09/News/344767.html

CNS ChemBio-WMD Terrorism News is prepared by the Chemical and Biological Weapons Nonproliferation Program of the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies at the Monterey Institute of International Studies in order to bring timely and focused information to researchers and policymakers interested in the fields of chemical, biological, and radiological weapons nonproliferation and WMD terrorism.

For more information and resources on CBW and WMD terrorism, visit the web page of the Center for Nonproliferation Studies, at http://cns.miis.edu/research/cbw/index.htm

Biological Attack Investigator’s Handbook

“Criminal and Epidemiological Investigation Handbook, Federal Bureau ofInvestigation, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the USDepartment of Justice, and the US Army Soldier Biological ChemicalCommand. 2006.”

Available At:
http://www2a.cdc.gov/phlp/docs/CrimEpiHandbook2006.pdf

Book Excerpt:
“Current information indicates that, regardless of location, American assets and citizens will continue to be targets of terrorist activities. Terrorists have demonstrated their willingness to employ non-traditional weapons to achieve their ends. One such class of non-traditional weapons is biological agents. Biological agents pose new challenges to both law enforcement and public health officials in their efforts to minimize the effects of a biological attack and apprehend those responsible for the attack. In the past, it was not uncommon for law enforcement and public health officials to conduct separate and independent investigations. However, a biological attack requires a high level of cooperation between these two disciplines to achieve their respective objectives of identifying the biological agent, preventing the spread of the disease, preventing public panic, and apprehending those responsible. The lack of mutual awareness and understanding, as well as the absence of established communication procedures, could hinder the effectiveness of law enforcement’s and public health's separate, but often overlapping, investigations. Due to the continued likelihood of biological attacks, the effective use of all resources during a biological incident will be critical to ensure an efficient and appropriate response.

The purpose of this handbook is as follows:

To provide an introduction to epidemiological and criminal terrorist investigations so public health and law enforcement personnel have a better understanding of each other's information requirements and investigative procedures.

To identify potential conflicts law enforcement and public health personnel will encounter during their respective biological incident investigations and to provide potential solutions that can be adapted to meet the needs of the various jurisdictions and agencies throughout the United States.

To enhance the appreciation and understanding of each discipline's expertise by all parties.”

Article sponsored by Criminal Justice online leadership as well as police and military personnel who have authored books.