Shelter In Place Lifted, Suspicious Box Deemed Safe In Rohnert Park

ROHNERT PARK, CA — Police in Rohnert Park lifted shelter-in-place orders Tuesday afternoon for residents of Lanyard Court when it was deemed a suspicious box was not a danger to the community.

Around 10:35 a.m. Tuesday, the Rohnert Park Department of Public Safety received a call about a suspicious package at Lancaster Drive and Lanyard Court East in the city's L Section. Officers quickly responded and found a box on the sidewalk. The box had a metal pole attached to it, Rohnert Park DPS Deputy Chief Kevin Kilgore said.

Because officers did not know what was in the box and its appearance was out of the ordinary, Rohnert Park DPS asked the Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office Bomb Squad to respond.

Rohnert Park DPS sent a Nixle alert shortly after 11 a.m. advising all residents of Lanyard Court to shelter in place — and all others to avoid the area.

"Out of an abundance of caution, area residents were advised to shelter in place and surrounding streets were closed for approximately three hours," Kilgore said.

Bomb squad technicians used a robot to evaluate the box. Around 1:25 p.m., technicians determined there were no explosive devices inside the box. It was deemed safe and removed from the area, and Rohnert Park DPS sent out another Nixle alert stating the police activity was over and the shelter-in-place was lifted.

Police were continuing their investigation and asked anyone with information related to the call for service to contact the Rohnert Park Department of Public Safety at 707-584-2600 and refer to Case No. 23-2287.