February 2, 2005

Suspicious package forces closure of Purdue facility, street

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Purdue University's Visitor Information Center, an adjacent parking garage and a portion of Northwestern Avenue were closed today (Wednesday, Feb. 2) for about one hour after a suspicious package was reported to police.

A university employee contacted the Purdue Police Department at approximately 12:30 p.m. after noticing a package with a label from a private delivery company leaning against the side of the visitor center, 504 Northwestern Ave., which is connected to the Northwestern Parking Garage. The employee called police because the package was unattended and had an out-of-town address, said Carol A. Shelby, Purdue's senior director of environmental health and public safety.

Emergency personnel closed the parking garage and visitor center. The northbound lanes of Northwestern Avenue directly in front of the facility also were closed while the Tippecanoe County Sheriff's Department Bomb Detection Unit examined the package, which was found to be harmless. The street and facility were reopened at approximately 1:30 p.m.

Purdue police and fire departments were assisted by the West Lafayette Police Department in addition to the bomb detection unit.

"Even though the package turned out to not be dangerous, the employee responded in precisely the way we would hope," Shelby said. "I urge anyone who sees a package that is suspicious, abandoned or out of place to report it to the police or fire department immediately. When the public's safety is involved, there is no such thing as too careful."

Writer: Matt Holsapple, (765) 494-2073, mholsapple@purdue.edu

Source: Carol A. Shelby, (765) 494-7504, cshelby@purdue.edu

Purdue News Service: (765) 494-2096; purduenews@purdue.edu

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