Suspicious substance found inside letter triggers closure at LAPD headquarters

A portion of Los Angeles Police Department’s headquarters was shut down after a suspicious substance was discovered in the mailroom.

The unidentified substance was discovered just before 7 a.m. Tuesday when workers in the mailroom at the LAPD’s bigges office found a letter suspected of containing dangerous material, police officials said.

The mailroom workers quickly made an emergency call reporting the letter to LAPD response units.

A hazardous materials team rushed to the mailroom as staff evacuated the space. Adjoining areas, including the police center, were also evacuated and closed.

Fire units closed roadways surrounding the LAPD’s headquarters at 100 W. First St., snarling downtown LA traffic as officers investigated the contents of the letter.

The police building mostly remains open and a LAPD Police Commission meeting was proceeding as planned as of 9:30 a.m.

“The show must go on,” said one officer.

Cops are currently investigating the situation. Police could not identify the substance in the letter and could not provide any other details about the suspicious mail.

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Designed to fit within the urban space of the Los Angeles Civic Center, the LAPD’s 491,000-square foot headquarters building features areas dedicated to police administration and operations. The 10-story building officially opened with a ribbon-cutting ceremony in October 2009.

LAPD Chief Jim McDonnell works from the headquaters buidling, as do members of the departments executive and communications staff. The headquarters also houses the LAPD’s Compstat Command Center, holding cells and public assembly spaces.

Most of the LAPD’s growing police drone fleet flies from the top of the building.

The crowd at Tuesday’s Police Commission meeting was thinner than usual but the event proceeded as planned, with LAPD leadership providing details on crime statistics and noteworthy cases.

Civillian residents were in attendance for the meeting’s public comment period.

Across the street at Los Angeles City Hall business continued as usual, with few inside aware of the shutdowns at LAPD’s top office.

By 10 a.m. the steets surrounding HQ were reopened and the buidling appeared to be operating as usual.

A worker at the buidling said threats at LAPD HQ are not uncommon since 9/11.