Crime & Safety

Suitcase Left In Lot Causes Bomb Scare At Lakewood BOE Meeting

The school board meeting was held after the item was deemed safe by authorities.

Lakewood police say a bomb scare was sparked by a suitcase that was left out as garbage and moved to the school board parking lot.
Lakewood police say a bomb scare was sparked by a suitcase that was left out as garbage and moved to the school board parking lot. (Karnen Wall/Patch)

LAKEWOOD, NJ — A suitcase that had been put out for pickup as garbage led to a bomb scare at the Lakewood Board of Education meeting on Thursday night, police said.

Police were called after the suitcase was found in the parking lot at the board offices at 200 Ramsey Ave., Lakewood Capt. Gregory Staffordsmith said.

The building was evacuated while the incident was investigated and there was determined to be no threat.

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Staffordsmith said the investigation determined the suitcase had been put out for trash by a nearby resident.

"Although we do not know who moved the trash, the suitcase was deemed to be safe nonetheless," Staffordsmith said in a news release. "Furthermore, there isn’t any indication that the relocation of the suitcase was meant to cause alarm."

Find out what's happening in Lakewoodfor free with the latest updates from Patch.

The meeting was canceled.

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