CHARLOTTE, N.C. — It was a busy Sunday for the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department when a suspicious package was found in Uptown at the intersection of Trade and Tryon streets. CMPD said the device posed no danger, but it was designed to look like a bomb.
Several streets were blocked off as the bomb squad made sure the package was safe. It was an isolated event, police say they are constantly training for these kinds of situations.
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“You never know what we’re going to encounter,” CMPD Arson Task Force and Bomb Squad Commander Sergeant Chad Strong said.
Strong said there are 14 people on the CMPD bomb squad. Most of them are part-time, meaning they do other jobs for the department like patrolling the streets of Charlotte.
"The FBI actually mandates how many bomb technicians a squad can have, they’ve given us that number," Sgt. Strong said. “We are one of the larger squads, probably between Washington D.C., Miami, and Atlanta."
The power of a bomb is devastating and often lethal, which is why the bomb squad has to keep their skills sharp. Strong said the FBI mandates how many hours are required to train every month.
“It’s a very long-term commitment," Strong said. "Once the basic training is done that’s simply where it starts."
Training is never-ending, extensive, and rigorous. The bomb technicians' craft was put to use on Sunday. After several hours, the package was rendered safe.
“What we call a render safe procedure basically, makes it to where it’s no longer a threat to the public," Strong said.
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According to CMPD, the device was not a bomb, but it was designed to resemble one.
"It certainly looked like an explosive device," CMPD Major Brad Koch told WCNC Charlotte on Sunday.
CMPD K9 Patrol Units, CMPD K9 Airport Units, and Gaston County K9 Units all trained in explosive detection were called to assist with canvassing the Center City looking for additional suspicious devices.
Strong said all bomb squads throughout the U.S. go through the same training.
“A lot of what we do is diagnostics procedures, x-rays are what we do a lot of times, so we can see inside, which you can’t see from the naked eye,” Strong said.
There is no ongoing threat to the community after Sunday's incident, and the investigation is still in the early stages.
CMPD keeps safety top of mind as Uptown stays busy.
“Some of our bomb technicians were able to respond very quickly because they were already working the soccer game a few blocks away, so that's why we're there," Strong said. "If something is [happening] we don’t want to disrupt the event so we want to be there in close proximity and say either go on about your day or we need to get everybody out."
Right now, there is no word on any suspects. CMPD encourages people in the community to report information if they have it. If you do call something in, it doesn't always mean the bomb squad will come right away, there is a process where they have to investigate which is usually done by a patrol officer.
Contact Lexi Wilson at lwilson@wcnc.com and follow her on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.