The suspicious device (on a metal tether) was placed on a truck tailgate for remote imaging. Photos by TMc | Eye

Kevin L. Hoover

Eye Editor

ARCATA – Another non-bomb prompted a massive response last week, this one tying up City Hall for hours.

On Tuesday, Jan. 26 at about 9:03 a.m., a City employee came into the Arcata Police Department and reported finding a suspicious device – a tiny metal box with a blinking LED light.

The Parks Dept. employee told officers that he had been working in the area of HealthSPORT in the Community Park when he noticed the device affixed to a light pole with a cable. The concerned employee transported the device to City Hall, where a supervisor told him to take it to APD to be examined.

Officers were unable to identify the suspicious object. so a perimeter was set up. The Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office Explosive Ordinance Disposal Team was notified and responded.

The bomb technicians X-rayed the device using a bomb robot.  It was determined that the object was not an explosive and did not pose a threat.

The item turned out to be a electronic timing device used by contractors to track billable hours at work sites, It was reportedly being used by painters in the area.

Interim Police Chief Tom Chapman said the device had been enclosed in “an old, ratty-looking black box, heightening suspicion.

It was the second non-bomb to trigger a massive official response in two weeks. Chapman had no apologies for that, but said the City will review its procedures for handing suspicious objects and evacuating personnel.

“Obviously it should never have been broought to City Hall,” Chapman said.

Though he lamented that the response was “resource-intensive and disruptive,” he said that “we can’t be wrong, so we will always be overly cautious.”

“If you’re wrong, the consequences are catastrophic,” Chapman said.

APD vs. NCJ

One reporter on the scene, the North Coast Journal’s Heidi Walters, had a brief run-in with authorities, prompting a swift protest from Journal Editor Hank Sims. APD Interim Chief Tom Chapman quickly investigated and responded with an apology. Below, the correspondence.

Hank: What the ?

A few minutes ago, APD officers ordered my reporter, Heidi Walters, to stop taking photographs of the bomb scare situation at City Hall. At the time, Walters was standing on the sidewalk opposite City Hall on 7th Street, which was not closed to passers-by, and was in no way interfering with the officers in the course of their duty.

If preventing members of the news media from taking photos in public places is official City policy, I would like to know on what legal authority uses to justify this restriction of a Constitutionally protected activity, and under what circumstances.

If this is not City policy — if the officers were acting on their own initiative — then I would ask you to please instruct the department not to restrict the rights of the press and the public, and to make it aware of the legal liability of doing so.

In any case, I would respectfully ask that you write me back within a reasonable amount of time, so that I may be made aware of what City policy is in this matter.

Sincerely,

Hank Sims, Editor, North Coast Journal

cc:

Jim Ewert, Legal Counsel, California Newspaper Publishers Association

Mayor Alex Stillman

Councilmember Shane Brinton

Councilmember Susan Ornelas

Councilmember Mark Wheetley

Councilmember Michael Winkler

Arcata Eye

Tom: Oops, our bad

Hank,

Thanks for taking the time to chat with me on the phone.  As we discussed, APD recognizes the issue of public spaces and access either through photographing or watching, etc.  At the time this occurred there was a bit of confusion.  The request came from the Sheriff’s Deputies through the APD on-scene supervisor that no photographs be taken of the robot.  With only partial information our supervisor requested that Heidi not take photos. It was a cordial conversation between Heidi and our officer.  Unfortunately our supervisor did not have all the information and was unable to adequately explain to Heidi why she was making the request. We found out later the Sheriff’s Deputies were trying to protect the security of the bomb robot by not having photos taken while it was deployed and in-service.

I sincerely apologize that our supervisor’s request was interpreted as interfering with a reporter.  After speaking with the supervisor I am confident she fully understands the right to access by both the media and the public.  Please feel free to contact me directly should you have any questions or concerns.

Take care,

Tom

Tom Chapman, Interim Chief of Police

Arcata Police Department

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Left, the non-bomber mailing what turned out to be a fuming, hot package. Right, police and a Kinko’s employee await the bomb squad in the alley north of 16th and G streets. Right, the soon-to-be-blown-up package. Left photo courtesy APD; right photos by KLH | Eye

Kevin L. Hoover

Eye Editor

NORTHTOWN – A package dropped off last Wednesday, Jan. 20 at the Northtown FedEx Kinko’s bore multiple signs of being something less benign than the bicycle light it turned out to be.

The package was addressed to a Berkeley location and bore what seemed to be a blatantly bogus return address – “123 Main Street” – also in Berkeley. The phone number left by the package mailer was also false.

After a while, the package began emitting a chemical smell, causing customers to complain, and it was warm to the touch. A store employee then placed the parcel in a plastic bag, took it into the alley behind the store and set it on the ground, then, at 12:46 p.m., called Arcata Police.

Officers arrived and blocked off the alley. The Arcata Fire Department was notified and responded, along with personnel from the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office Explosive Ordinance Disposal Team, casually known as the bomb squad. Incident commander Sgt. Ron Sligh, several APD officers and Arcata Firefighters then proceeded to hurry up and wait while the proper response was formulated.

The bomb technicians told Sligh that their robot would X-ray the package, but if it contained no mechanical parts – something that might be a triggering device – they would take no further action.

People in the area didn’t appear to take the potential explosive too seriously. As the bomb techs assembled the bomb bot, a few passersby lingered near the yellow warning tape, enjoying the show. A Kinko’s employee occasionally came out of the store and stood over the parcel, offering a friendly wave to officers standing on the far side of 16th Street. Someone else could be seen in the window of an adjacent residence, peering down at the parcel from just feet away.

Sligh also contacted the Eureka Fire Department Hazardous Materials Response Team, which is funded under a Joint Powers Authority agreement with local communities, each of which, including Arcata, kicks in $8,000 per year to have its services available.

The Hazmat Team told the sergeant that they’d contain any leaky chemicals, but wouldn’t remove or dispose of the item. This created a temporary quandary, as Sligh tried to figure out how to eliminate the hazard if the bomb squad wouldn’t take it. “I can’t just leave it here,” he was heard to say.

As Sligh made a number of calls, trying to get various public safety officials to talk to each other and ascertain jurisdiction, the robot was assembled and began its wobbly journey down the alley.

The disposal issue became moot when the brave little bot’s X-ray showed that the package contained “a suspicious looking mechanical device.” The robot moved the package to a bomb trailer and the device was transported out of Arcata.

APD Capt. Tom Chapman said the parcel was taken to a location east of Blue Lake and detonated. Little remained of the package afterward, though the bits were collected and returned to APD.

Thursday, officers began the search for the suspect, who, seen in a low-resolution security video image, resembled any number of Arcata males with long hair and a beard. Officers also tried to determine which forensic lab should be sent the bomb remnants for analysis.

Friday, the investigation ended abruptly when the person who’d mailed the package was located and offered an explanation that turned the whole event into a non-issue.

Accoring to an APD press release, FedEx Security was able to provide the sender’s name and address from the prepaid internet postage.  The “device” the bomb squad had detected in the package was only a rechargeable bike light consisting of several neon tubes.  Investigators determined that the sender was returning the merchandise to the Berkeley-based business.

The sender said that the fictitious return address was a default address that appeared when he was purchasing the postage online and that he merely neglected to change it.

Regarding the hazmat disposal issue, Ed Laidlaw, coordinator for the EFD Hazardous Materials Response Team, said it’s a common misconception that his unit takes custody of dangerous items. He said that once they’re contained, such items are usually disposed of by private contractors.

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