Brussels Attacks Put Metro Detroit Police on Heightened Alert

METRO DETROIT, MI – Police in Dearborn, Detroit and across the metro are on heightened alert Tuesday after terror attacks in Belgium killed at least 34 people and injured 170 at the busy Brussels airport and nearby subway station.

Dearborn Police Chief Ronald Haddad told The Detroit News police intelligence across the area have received bulletins from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

“We have a strong presence at critical facilities and infrastructures, such as banks, post offices, government buildings and water intakes,” Haddad said. “We’re also watching soft targets, such as malls, schools, places of worship, modes of transportation.”

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On its Facebook page, the Oakland County Sheriff’s Office said there’s no information on any impending threat in Oakland County, but authorities have been in constant contact with police intelligence since early Tuesday morning.

“We would rather check out 100 nothings than miss one real thing. Please become more situationally aware but go on with enjoying life. Know that we will worry about the what ifs and prepare.”

The Detroit Police Counterterrorism Threat Analysis Team has been activated “as it is whenever there’s an attack like this,” Detroit Police Chief James Craig said.

“We were in a heightened state even before Brussels, and we should always be in a constant state of preparedness,” he told The Detroit News. “We have a fairly good machine in place that’s both proactive and reactive.”

There are no known threats to Detroit or other U.S. cities, Craig emphasized.

“We’re just staying up on the intelligence so we can be prepared,” he said.

Airport Concerns

There are no direct flights to Detroit Metro Airport from Belgium, WJBK-TV reports, but security has been increased there, as it has around the world.

Flights heading to Europe from Detroit could be delayed. It's a good idea to check your flight status.