“Afterwards, I was a little nervous.” Roberts said. “People are pretty sneaky, and you never know what’s going to happen.”

Roberts, however, was reassured by the efforts of local law enforcement, especially the MSU Police Department’s choice to review its current bomb threat responses to improve safety.

“We’re prepared to the highest level that we’re able to,” said MSU police Capt. Penny Fischer, who commands the emergency management and special events division. “All you can do is be prepared.”

Although neither MSU nor East Lansing police have specialized bomb threat response practices, representatives from both departments said the necessary response is similar to one for an active shooter, which is practiced by police.

Michigan State Police could not be reached for comment by press time, but representatives from both departments said they rely on the State Police for a bomb squad.

Fischer said MSU police use any national tragedy, such as the Boston Marathon bombings, as an opportunity to review current emergency response plans. She said the department is undertaking this process but would not comment on exact protocol or changes.

Both MSU and East Lansing police have dogs trained to detect explosives, which Fischer said are utilized to sweep both Breslin Center and Spartan Stadium stands prior to any game.

She said the university also has several officers assigned to the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force.
“We’re much better prepared than we were 12 years ago,” Fischer said of all law enforcement, referring to the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon.

Neither Fischer nor East Lansing police Capt. Jeff Murphy could recall the last time the university or city dealt with a bomb threat, although Murphy said most reported incidents involving bombs are reported suspicious package that “turn out to be nothing.”

Cody Christopher Mastrodonato, listed as a mechanical engineering sophomore in the university directory, was arrested April 9 for setting off a MacGyver bomb in Cedar Village in celebration of the University of Michigan men’s basketball team loss to Louisville in the NCAA basketball tournament. No one was injured from the bomb, which was made from toilet bowl cleaner.

Fischer said in her 26-year career with MSU police, she only has dealt with bomb threats “a couple of times,” and the incident were not found to be a real threat.

Murphy said students can help police protect the community from a tragedy, such as the Boston bombings, by reporting any suspicious activity.

“If something like that were ever to happen around here, it would be a pretty chaotic scene,” Murphy said. “We would definitely not handle it on our own. We would handle it like we would and get through it.”