After Md. scares, NYPD issues alerts

In response to the two incidents in Maryland on Thursday, New York Police Department counterterrorism officials put more than 3,000 area security directors on alert for suspicious packages and letters.

The NYPD alert went out to corporate and institutional security officials at hospitals and colleges who are part of the department's Shield program designed to disseminate news about terrorism and other issues.

The latest alert doesn't contain information about any specific threats to New York but includes drawings showing the kinds of things on postal items that could signal a package or letter bomb.

The packages were described as being small and the size of a book, according to the NYPD. Other suspicious packages also were found in Maryland state buildings.

NYPD officials also noted that British police Thursday had cautioned the public about possible terrorism and had increased security at Heathrow Airport.