Cook County Homeland Security Briefs Local Police on Brussels Terror Attack

In the wake of Tuesday’s terror attacks in Brussels, Cook County and suburban police departments are maintaining a heightened state of awareness and reviewing their own plans for protecting schools, places of worship and community gathering places from terrorism and active shooter events.

At least 31 people were killed and scores more injured when three explosions ripped through Belgium’s capital city. The Islamic State terror group has since claimed responsibility for the attacks at Brussels’ airport and subway system.

Executive director Ernest Brown, of the Cook County Department Homeland Security and Emergency Management (CCHS), spent part of Tuesday disseminating information to the county's suburban police departments.

“The terrorist attacks in Brussels certainly puts us on heightened vigilance,” Brown said. “Most of what we shared today with law enforcement is sensitive information, but there is currently no credible threat or intelligence of a similar attack occurring in Chicago or the Cook County region.”

Brown said his department has been working with its federal, state and local partners, including the City of Chicago, in monitoring and sharing intelligence following the Brussels terror attacks.

“We try to glean as much information as we can and determine how we can be of support and intervention steps that we’re going to take,” Brown said.

Brown said when he first learned of the latest terror attacks in Europe, his reactions were personal and professional.

“It’s a tragedy and my heart goes out to the families and the injured,” he said. “My second thought is how likely is it to occur here and to reach out to our intelligence arm and start calling for information.”

Local threats and incidents have shown that Chicago and its suburbs are not immune to the reality of a terrorist attack. Last year alone, the FBI thwarted a plan to attack a military base in Joliet. An Orland Park serviceman also found his name on an ISIS hit list, and another Islamic terror group based in Somalia threatened to level U.S. shopping malls, including the Fox Valley Mall in Aurora.

“Too often we think it’s not going to happen here, or if it does happen here it will happen somewhere else, and if it does happen the government will take care of us," Brown said. "We have to divest ourselves of these flawed notions and be prepared."

CCHS serves as the central agency that coordinates first responders mitigating the effects of human-made disasters, such as targeted violence or environmental events, as well as natural disasters, including floods and tornadoes.

“Part of the goals for our department is to inform, educate and prepare regular everyday citizens to understand that during the first few of hours after an incident they’re pretty much responsible for fending for themselves,” Brown said.

CCHS has partnered with the Chicago Office of Emergency Management in participating in the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Department’s national, anti-terrorism “If You See Something, Say Something” campaign.

The campaign is designed to educate the general public that if they see a package that looks suspicious, or hear a conversation where someone appears to be plotting a crime or terrorist attack, to report it.

“A lot of people are afraid of reporting suspicious behavior because they don’t want to appear racist or bigoted,” Brown said. “The campaign focuses on behavior, not nationality, that may be precursors to terrorist or criminal activity.”

The county department also works with places of worship to make them less of a target for active shooters, as well as weather-related disasters.

“We’ve had more floods and tornadoes, but we can expect to have an active shooter or terrorist attack here at some point in the future,” he said. “We need to have the understanding that it’s likely to happen here, but there things we can do to prepare for and prevent it without going into panic mode.”