Police: Suspicious Package Near Chatham Train Station a False Alarm

A suspicious package that was discovered near the Chatham Train Station Tuesday morning turned out to be a vacated briefcase containing personal items, Borough Police Chief Philip J. Crosson said.

According to Crosson, the briefcase had been left near 14 Fairmount Ave., a small building near the train station, for at least an hour before police received the call at approximately 11:49 a.m. The Morris County Sheriff's Bomb Squad determined there was no threat, Crosson said.

NJ Transit police and New Jersey State Police also brought bomb-sniffing dogs to the Summit Train Station around 1:30 p.m. Tuesday afternoon but it is unknown if this was related to the Chatham Train Station incident.

Chatham police initially responded to the briefcase as a suspicious package. They blocked pedestrian and vehicular access to the train station while they investigated between about 11:50 a.m. and 1:27 p.m.

Lt. Brian Gibbons said the briefcase had been "left unattended for far too long" and police were "going all-out" to determine the package's contents and secure the safety of residents, pedestrians and train users.

Fairmount Avenue was closed between Second Street and Firehouse Plaza at about noon. Three police units, two Sheriff K-9 Unit cars including one vehicle with work dogs, the Chatham Emergency Squad and the Chatham Borough Volunteer Fire Department responded to the scene.

Daniel Triana of NJ Transit said at about 12:30 p.m. trains were running eastbound "without interruption," but westbound trains were bypassing the station by the request of police. 

Crosson said they had originally asked that all trains stop running through Chatham. After the briefcase was removed from transit property, Crosson said NJ Transit asked for partial access to the station.

"We just wanted to take all the necessary precautions, especially in light of 'See Something, Say Something,'" Crosson said.

Police reopened access to Fairmount Avenue at approximately 1:30 p.m.

NJ Transit investigated a bomb threat last week on the Raritan line, which also turned out to be a false alarm.