Police Investigate Suspicious Bags at Bus Depot

The Long Beach Police Department received a report of a suspicious bag left at the bus depot Monday afternoon, and upon arrival officers found two unattended bags, according to Lt. Eric Cregeen, the department’s public information officer.

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When officers arrived on at the bus depot, at 1 West Park Ave., opposite LBPD headquarters, at about 5:17 p.m., they found a red suitcase located next to a large garbage can, and shortly after discovered a second bag near a bike rack, a large suitcase covered by a cameo jacket and matching the first bag, approximately 300 feet apart, Cregeen told Patch.  

The Nassau County Police Bomb Squad was called to the scene and cleared the packages. The first bag was found to be empty but the second bag was filled with clothing. 

"The LBPD vouchered the two bags after the arson and bom squad cleared them," Cregeen said. "At this stage we believe they might have belonged to a homeless person." 

Monday’s incident follows a similar scare at the neighboring Long Island Rail Road station on April 17, when a City of Long Beach bus driver notified the LBPD of a suspicious red bag left unattended in the LIRR lobby. The LBPD evacuated the station and MTA police terminated all train service until after the Nassau bomb squad responded to investigate and found that the package was a lost piece of luggage.

"This is something we take very seriously; any unattended bags especially in mass transit areas should always be reported," Cregeen said. "If you see something, say something." 

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