NIAGARA FALLS – Niagara Falls Police and the state police bomb squad unit were called to investigate a suspicious package, later determined to be a backpack, this morning on the front steps of the city’s Community Development offices in the Carnegie Building on Main Street.
Niagara Falls Police Superintendant E. Bryan DalPorto said a Community Development employee found the package and called authorities at 7:30 a.m.
“We erred on the side of caution and called out the state police bomb squad,” DalPorto said. “Using their robot they were able to determine that it was not a bomb, but a backpack.”
After determining there was no threat, the building opened to the public around 11 a.m., according to Mayor Paul A. Dyster.
Dyster said a city worker found the backpack at the main entrance before the building opened this morning and the building and the surrounding area were cordoned off until it could be determined there was no threat.
“Given the events of yesterday [at the Boston Marathon], this was treated as a suspicious parcel until it could be determined that it was not an act of terrorism and there was no bomb,” Dyster said. “Eventually we figured out that some person from around the neighborhood had left it there and walked away.”
Dyster said the person who left the backpack may not have realized what kind of a problem this would cause.
DalPorto said the backpack was returned to its owner, who apparently left there unintentionally..
Dyster said everyone is on high alert and noted that Monday night, in the wake of the Boston bombings, the city increased patrols around tourism areas and at the international crossings and offered assistance to New York State Parks.
“We worry about it,” Dyster said. “As the Boston Marathon has a certain symbolic value, Niagara Falls has a certain symbolic value. When there are activities of this sort, we try to be extra vigilant.”
Dyster said he would hoped on any given day, officials would be as alert as they were this morning.
“I would rather go through this routine a dozen times and have it be a false alarm every single time – that’s welcome news – rather than live with the fact that one time you maybe could have intervened in a situation, but maybe didn’t take it seriously,” he said.
email: nfischer@buffnews.com
Niagara Falls Police Superintendant E. Bryan DalPorto said a Community Development employee found the package and called authorities at 7:30 a.m.
“We erred on the side of caution and called out the state police bomb squad,” DalPorto said. “Using their robot they were able to determine that it was not a bomb, but a backpack.”
After determining there was no threat, the building opened to the public around 11 a.m., according to Mayor Paul A. Dyster.
Dyster said a city worker found the backpack at the main entrance before the building opened this morning and the building and the surrounding area were cordoned off until it could be determined there was no threat.
“Given the events of yesterday [at the Boston Marathon], this was treated as a suspicious parcel until it could be determined that it was not an act of terrorism and there was no bomb,” Dyster said. “Eventually we figured out that some person from around the neighborhood had left it there and walked away.”
Dyster said the person who left the backpack may not have realized what kind of a problem this would cause.
DalPorto said the backpack was returned to its owner, who apparently left there unintentionally..
Dyster said everyone is on high alert and noted that Monday night, in the wake of the Boston bombings, the city increased patrols around tourism areas and at the international crossings and offered assistance to New York State Parks.
“We worry about it,” Dyster said. “As the Boston Marathon has a certain symbolic value, Niagara Falls has a certain symbolic value. When there are activities of this sort, we try to be extra vigilant.”
Dyster said he would hoped on any given day, officials would be as alert as they were this morning.
“I would rather go through this routine a dozen times and have it be a false alarm every single time – that’s welcome news – rather than live with the fact that one time you maybe could have intervened in a situation, but maybe didn’t take it seriously,” he said.
email: nfischer@buffnews.com