An update on a story we posted in May on suspicious activity in and around New Jersey hospitals. From the New Jersey Star-Ledger with thanks to Lysistrata.
New Jersey hospitals are on heightened alert, authorities acknowledged yesterday, as the result of several suspicious incidents involving people trying to enter hospitals under false pretenses.
Bulletins have been issued by the New Jersey Office of Counter-Terrorism, in addition to other law enforcement agencies, telling hospitals to be vigilant. However, authorities stressed there has been no specific threat of terrorism against New Jersey hospitals.
“It could mean nothing or it could be pre-operational surveillance,” said Sydney Caspersen, director of the New Jersey Office of Counter-Terrorism.
One of the incidents occurred July 7 at Raritan Bay Medical Center in Perth Amboy, where two individuals were seen in a hospital parking lot carrying badges and talking about possibly passing themselves off as inspectors.
In another incident on July 1, an individual called the admissions office at Robert Wood Johnson at Rahway, saying he was doing a telephone survey for the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations, the nation’s leading standard-setting body in healthcare. The admitting clerk told the caller she was aware the commission did not do phone surveys and the caller quickly hung up, according to Barbara Jones, hospital spokeswoman…