Suspicious Mail Causes False Alarm at Town Hall

Three letters delivered to Southampton Town Hall Thursday were deemed suspicious, leading to police being called in, but it turned out to be a false alarm.

"It was a tempest in a teapot really," said Janice Wilson, the executive assistant to Town Supervisor Anna Throne-Holst. She explained that the letters that were missing return addresses arrived with the mail in the late morning. In accordance with Town Hall policy, the letters, which were post-marked in Garden City, were set aside before they were opened, so they could be reviewed by the Town Hall safety officer she said.

The letters were addressed to the town supervisor's office, the department of land management and the building inspector, Wilson said. John Ryan, the safety officer, inspected the letters and, as a precaution, called the Southampton Village Police Department, she said.

"As it turned out, there was nothing to it," Wilson said. "It was just really some advertising."

Southampton Fire Department was also called to Town Hall. Second Assistant Chief Chris Brenner said firefighters waited outside and conferred with the fire marshal, but never entered the building.