If you receive or discover a suspicious package or device:
- Do not touch, move, or tamper with it.
- Call the University Police immediately at 205-348-5454.
- Do not use a cell phone within 300 feet of the suspicious package.
What constitutes a suspicious letter or parcel?
Suspicious Package Image (pdf)
Letters or packages that have the following characteristics ought to trigger suspicion:
- Have powdery substances on the outside.
- Are unexpected or from someone unfamiliar to you.
- Have excessive postage, handwritten or poorly typed address, incorrect titles or titles with no name, or misspelling of common words.
- Are addressed to someone no longer with your organization or are otherwise outdated.
- Have no return address or have one that can’t be verified as legitimate.
- Are of unusual weight, given their size, or are lopsided or oddly shaped.
- Have an unusual amount of tape.
- Are marked with restrictive endorsements, such as “Personal” or “Confidential.”
- Have strange odors or stains.
