A “possible explosive device” triggered evacuations of some uptown businesses and a “hold and secure” at New Westminster Secondary School.
According to the New Westminster Police Department, a concerned citizen flagged down police around 8 a.m. about a possible explosive device placed inside a mailbox. A NWPD news release said police rushed to the scene and secured a perimeter; the RCMP explosives disposal unit arrived to assess the mailbox.
“A stand-alone Canada Post deposit box was the focus for police this morning,” said Sgt. Andrew Leaver, the NWPD’s media relations officer. “A citizen flagged down one of our officers after he saw that the mailbox appeared to have been tampered with and there was a note next to the mailbox about a bomb being inside. This person did the right thing and told police.”
While police investigated, some street-level businesses on Sixth Street were evacuated between Hamilton and Eighth streets. Sixth Street was closed to traffic from Eighth Avenue to Sixth Avenue.
“We treat every threat as real until we can determine otherwise,” Leaver said. “While this does cause a disruption, it’s paramount that we take steps to keep people safe.”
In response to the incident, New Westminster Secondary was placed on "hold and alert" out of precaution.
Mike Lee, communications manager for New West Schools, confirmed NWSS was on "hold and alert" as a precautionary measure. He said it's not the same as a lockdown.
“‘Hold and secure’ is used if there's a security concern in the school's vicinity,” he said in an email to the Record.
According to the NWPD news release, after several hours, it was determined there was no threat to public safety. Sixth Street is now open to traffic and businesses and now accessible.
The New Westminster Police Department said it is now in the early stages of determining the source of the mailbox tampering. Anyone who has information about this incident is encouraged to call the NWPD at 604-525-5411.
“We’d like to thank residents, businesses and drivers for their patience,” said the NWPD news release. “Additionally, we’d like to thank our partners at the RCMP explosives disposal unit for their assistance and expertise.”
Police incident in #NewWest. Roads are closed on 6th Street between Eighth Ave and Sixth Ave. Please avoid the area. pic.twitter.com/14gY3UNbVx
— New Westminster Police Department (@NewWestPD) March 4, 2025
Evacuations in New West
The March 4 incident on Sixth Street is the latest in a series of evacuations in New Westminster prompted by police incidents.
On Jan. 7, a bomb threat forced evacuations of the New Westminster courthouse, Douglas College and businesses and residences in the downtown. The incident, prompted by a bomb threat at the New Westminster courthouse, required the response of numerous policing agencies and first responders; nothing suspicious was found.
On Feb. 1, the NWPD evacuated a small area of River Market after responding to a call about a man with a knife in the downtown, who allegedly struck someone with his hand before entering the River Market. Police arrested a suspect a few blocks away later that evening.
On Feb. 4, Transit Police briefly evacuated the New Westminster SkyTrain station after a passenger reported an unattended, suspicious bag on a train. Police — including explosives detection dog Harnett and her handler — attended and determined the bag was not a threat to the public, and the station soon reopened.
