Police investigate, remove ‘suspicious package’

CEDAR RAPIDS - Officers from the Cedar Rapids police and fire departments this afternoon investigated and retrieved a 'suspicious package” in the downtown area without incident.

According to Cedar Rapids Police Sgt. J.D. Verschoore, a pedestrian called police around noon regarding the package, which was on a bench outside the Cedar Rapids Day School, 615 First Ave. SE.

Officers, including a K-9 unit, Special Response Team and a bomb detecting robot were deployed near the school, which also serves as a day care center. Around 1:30 p.m., officers removed the package from the site.

'We have not determined exactly what it is, but we're fairly confident it's not an explosive,” Verschoore said, adding police are to continue investigating the matter to try to determine what the package is and who placed it on the bench. He said the investigation could take anywhere from a few weeks to months.

During the investigation, the Day School was on lockdown, with children staying in the basement of the building, Verschoore said.

Another officer at the scene said there were about 70 children inside and parents were notified they could come pick them up. Several parents showed up and waited outside for the scene to be cleared by police. By 2 p.m., police had left the scene and parents were able to take their children home.

A woman who identified herself as the owner of Cedar Rapids Day School, but declined to give her name, said she is grateful for the direction police gave and that they worked with families to ensure they knew the children were safe.

She declined further comment.

Other area businesses were notified of the investigation, but not placed on lockdown, Verschoore said.

Several vehicles, including a Cedar Rapids firetruck and a CR Transit bus, were used to block traffic during the investigation.

According to the city's website, Cedar Rapids has seven certified bomb technicians assigned to its bomb squad - five from the police department and two from the fire department.

'All members have attended Hazardous Devices School for 6 weeks of training. The school is operated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Homeland Security. This school is stationed in Huntsville, Ala., at Red Stone Arsenal military base. Each bomb technician is required to recertify at Red Stone Arsenal every 3 years for a weeklong course.”

The website says bomb squad members train twice a month, for 16 hours total, in cooperation with the Linn County Sheriff's Office and Marion Police Department bomb squads.

Verschoore said police investigated 28 objects in the last year, including old military items area residents have found in storage.