Officers responding to a bomb threat shall advise the person in-charge (contact person) of the involved business or building, that it is their decision to evacuate. If asked for a recommendation, officers shall advise that in all instances of bomb threats the Minneapolis Police Department recommends an evacuation of the building, and a search of the building by employees/staff (on a voluntary basis) to look for suspicious item(s).
Prior to the search being conducted officers shall also advise the contact person:
- Not to use portable radios or cell phones while conducting the search;
- Not to handle any suspicious item(s);
- If a suspicious item is discovered immediately evacuate the area and call 911.
All requests for building searches utilizing MPD employees and/or canines to look for suspicious packages or suspected explosives must be approved by the Bomb Squad supervisor, in advance.
Responding officers shall complete a CAPRS report. Bomb threats should be coded BOMBT. If a suspicious package or suspected explosive is discovered subsequent to the bomb threat, CAPRS code BOMB shall be used in addition to BOMBT.
Definitions
Refer to the Commonly Used Terms page for general definitions.
- Suspicious Package or Device: Any package or device that is reported to be unusual in nature due to any of the following factors: location, size, shape, odor, wrapping, markings, no known origin, etc.