ELI GILL UCLA post office employee Mario
Mitchell sorts the mail wearing surgical gloves.
By Helen Seliverstov
Daily Bruin Contributor
Despite nationwide fears of anthrax and a number of reports of
suspicious packages at UCLA, there is little to no evidence the
university is in danger, officials say.
At least 12 pieces of suspicious mail and white powder have been
reported to university police in the past 11 days alone, but only a
few cases were deemed even potentially threatening.
Nevertheless, the UCLA post office is exercising extra caution,
according to its Mail, Document Distribution Services Web site.
University police have received many reports of unusual letters
when envelopes are dirty or lack a return address, said UCPD
assistant chief Karl Ross. He said nothing has been found on the
West Coast, and UCLA is not in any danger.
But, he said, he anticipates the number of reports of suspicious
powder to increase around finals time, as students attempt to
postpone exams.
UCPD investigates every report it receives, Ross said. Over the
past month, it has followed up on a case of powder that a UCLA
employee said likely fell from a donut; a surgical glove found with
powder in a bathroom trash can and a threatening letter received in
Murphy Hall with the message: “Eiserling, Death my ultimate
desire. Breath.” The latter was sent away for fingerprints
and further investigation.
The sentence for sending letters containing threats associated
with weapons of mass destruction, under Penal Code 11418.5, is
three to six years in jail, depending on the number of offenses.
The letter received at Murphy would fall under this category, Ross
said.
A letter from Baghdad, Iraq, without a return address made its
way to the Center for Health Sciences on Nov. 5 and is under
investigation.
Several other reports have come from CHS and hospitals around
the area. For example, in October, UCPD was contacted after white
powder was found in the pocket of a man in the UCLA Medical Center
emergency room.
In recent weeks, officials investigated one letter. The envelope
had no return address, was dirty, and had incorrect postage on it,
said Denise Houle, manager of the Mail, Document and Distribution
Services for the UCLA post office. The letter was immediately
isolated, and a postal inspector, who later deemed the letter
non-threatening, was called.
“If a postal inspector called in to investigate a
suspicious package or letter deems that there is a good cause, they
are authorized to open it,” Houle said.
The UCLA post office, which has taken extra steps to ensure
safety, is urging employees to wear latex gloves and has provided
workers with respirators.
In other security measures, access to the Postal Center is
limited, according to the Mail, Document Distribution Services Web
site. A person must swipe their BruinCard to gain entrance to the
center, and all workers are required to wear photo identification
at all times. Mail workers are urged not to accept mail from
individuals and only to pick up mail in set locations.
After anthrax outbreaks began on the East Coast, UCLA postal
workers went through extra in-service safety training to review
post office expectations and procedures, Houle said.
Approximately 8,000 to 10,000 pieces of mail go through the
hands of Ray Thomas, an employee at the UCLA post office, each day.
He said he “would feel safer in another industry, but the
management is on the right track in terms of
preparedness.”
Thomas, who does not wear a respirator while working, said it is
hard to react so strongly to the possibility of anthrax when it has
not happened on the West Coast. He said he feels wearing masks
would exaggerate the situation and make people more afraid.
Meanwhile, some students say they are not worried about a
possible biological attack on UCLA.
Jackie Lam, a second-year anthropology student, said she is not
scared because more people die from car accidents than from
anthrax.
Others said they feel distant from the situation because they
are on campus.
“Here, I’m in a bubble. I brush it off,” said
Pranav Gandhi, a second-year economics student.