Police temporarily shut down Times Square on Monday due to reports of a suspicious package found outside police station.
As per multiple reports, around 10:30 am, police found a cylindrical device outside the front door of a police substation in midtown.
Times Square is so crowded all the time with visitors, tourists and commuters that even a small security problem can cause major disruptions.
As a safety precautions, they blocked off 7th Avenue between 42nd and 43rd streets to both pedestrians and vehicles.
Afterwards, the bomb squad checked the device and found it was not dangerous.
The New York Police Department (NYPD) posted on X on Monday morning, August 18, "ADVISORY: Due to an active police investigation, avoid the area of West 43rd Street and 7th Avenue in Manhattan within the confines of @NYPDMTS. Expect emergency vehicles and delays in the surrounding area."
The police declared the area safe before noon and began reopening Time Square.
No arrests have been made at this time, and no description of the package was immediately available.
A video footage showed a man leaving the fake device in front of the police station and authorities were still trying to find him.
