Officials confirm ‘suspicious package’ found near City Hall is noise monitor
The Syracuse Police Department was investigating a suspicious package strapped to a tree near City Hall with a small drone and a robot, syracuse.com reported. The building was evacuated and nearby streets are closed. Courtesy of Leah Thresh
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UPDATE: This post was updated at 6:08 p.m. on September 29, 2025.
The “suspicious package” found near City Hall Monday was determined to be a listening device, placed for “environmental and traffic monitoring,” the Syracuse Police Department confirmed in a Monday release.
The device was found to be non-threatening and the scene is now clear, SPD said.
The device belongs to the state Department of Transportation, Syracuse Mayor Ben Walsh said at a Monday news conference. The box, strapped with a microphone, is collecting noise data related to the reconstruction of the I-81 viaduct, Elizabeth Parmley, an engineer leading the project, told syracuse.com.
Other monitors have been placed in other parts of the city, Walsh said.
The device, initially spotted just before noon Monday, caused City Hall to be evacuated as SPD investigated the package with a small drone and a robot, syracuse.com reported.
SPD closed off nearby streets and asked the public to stay clear of the area until the investigation concluded. Walsh said the device measures sound and is typically put on utility poles, syracuse.com reported.
Parmley said the device will be taken down Tuesday, as scheduled.
City officials are investigating whether the state notified the city about the device before installing it, Walsh said.
The Syracuse Common Council also cancelled its regular meeting Monday.
This story will be updated with additional reporting.
