UPDATE: Suspicious package at downtown building deemed non-dangerous

The RCMP Explosives Disposal Unit have determined that a package left at a building in downtown Red Deer which triggered a police response and a community disruption is not dangerous or suspicious.

RCMP were alerted just after noon to the package at the building at 47 Avenue and 48 Street and began investigating it as a possible explosive device. Residents of two apartments and employees of two businesses were evacuated from the first floor as a precautionary measure.

Vehicle and pedestrian traffic surrounding the building was closed while the Explosives Disposal Unit (EDU) was called in to deal with the package. Traffic opened up again just before 5 p.m. 

“Public safety was a primary concern throughout the police response. The public is thanked for their patience,” RCMP say in a release.