Suspicious package found

Calgary police responded to reports of a suspicious package at the Altius Centre in the downtown and evacuated the building.

The call came in around 2:45 P.M. after a suspicious looking device was found by a support pillar outside the building in the 500 block of  4th Ave. S.W. 

Police cordoned off 3 blocks from 3rd St. to 6th St. along 5th Ave. S.W. and re-opened the area after the package was taken away.

A day care across the street was also evacuated.

The Tactical team, Hazardous Materials Team and the Calgary police bomb robot responded to the scene to evaluate the package and contain the area.

Evacuating people from big buildings is an enormous task and police say that they try to cordon off the area as far back as they can.

"A lot of it's based on what the experts tell us, the Tactical Unit, they are the guys that are trained in this area and they give us particular information with respect to what I can expect if the worst thing were to happen and then we have to judge it accordingly," said Inspecter Vic Trickett from the Calgary Police Service

The package was x-rayed and removed from the front of the building by the bomb robot.

30 officers and EMS responded to the scare and police believe that the package was made to look like an explosive device.

Because the device looked authentic Police took all the necessary precautions in dealing with it.

The building was evacuated and people working in another building nearby were told to leave out the back exit to avoid the street area.