12/24/2006

Newsmakers 2006

Communication better since scare

By CRAIG McCOOL

mccoolrecordeagle@sbcglobal.net

MACKINAW CITY — Communication among federal and local law enforcement agencies improved after homeland security officials failed to notify local police of a potential bomb threat to the Mackinac Bridge.

When three Texas men were arrested this summer for allegedly plotting to blow up the Mighty Mac, sheriffs in Emmet, Cheboygan and Mackinac counties complained about being kept out of the loop. State police ultimately drafted a new policy regarding how information is to be disseminated, said Cheboygan County Sheriff Dale Clarmont.

"I believe when the three local sheriffs voiced our concerns, our voices were heard. I do believe there's been resolution,” Clarmont said. "Hopefully this won't happen again.”

Three Palestinian-American men were arrested Aug. 11 at a Caro Wal-Mart store parking lot with hundreds of pre-paid cell phones and digital pictures of the Mackinac Bridge.

For Caro police and Tuscola County prosecutors, it added up to a suspected sinister plot and the three were charged with terror-related crimes. All of the charges, including federal counterfeiting charges filed later, subsequently were dropped.

Federal officials denied the men were a threat at all, but local police — the would-be first responders — questioned why they learned of the perceived threat through the media, rather than through official channels.

"It was frustrating at the time, but a lot of good resulted. Those communication issues have been resolved,” Mackinac County Sheriff Scott Strait said. "I'm in regular contact now with Homeland Security officials and the FBI. It opened up these channels so we can do our jobs better.”

Clarmont said the incident was a good test for how a true emergency situation might be handled.

"Thank God it wasn't a serious event and we've addressed a communication gap,” he said. "We're hopeful that it's been resolved.”