Sheriff: No Security Threat To Harford, Vigilance Encouraged

While there are no homeland security threats to Harford County, Sheriff Jesse Bane encourages county residents to remain alert in light of the Monday bombing of the Boston Marathon.

Bane said there were no credible threats aimed at Harford County as of Tuesday afternoon, but plans increased patrols of key infrastructure during the coming days as a precaution, according to a statement issued by the Harford County Sheriff's Office.

The county has been in contact with the Maryland Coordination and Analysis Center since Monday afternoon and have held intelligence briefings to keep government and law enforcement officials in the loop.

"[T]hey do not have any threats relative to the Boston bombing or any other intelligence to suggest Harford County is at risk," Bane said in the release, "but that doesn’t mean we should let our guard down. The incident in Boston should strongly serve to raise our awareness and sensitivity to suspicious circumstances but it doesn’t mean we are under imminent threat."

Bane said he feels Harford County is prepared for emergency situations thanks to police and fire department training, emergency management coordination and planning and information sharing between local and state law enforcement as well as local government, the release states.

Residents are also encouraged to remain alert and vigilant by reporting anything suspicious to police or the state hotline, 1-800-492-TIPS.

"Although there are no apparent credible threats directed at our community, our law enforcement officials are closely monitoring events and are prepared to take appropriate actions to mitigate any such acts" County Executive David Craig said in the release.