'Suspicious item' at Trump Tower deemed safe

NEW YORK (FOX5NY) - Police say suspicious items found inside Trump Tower have been determined to be harmless.

The New York Police Department's counterterrorism chief, James Waters, says on Twitter Friday that packages found in the building "have been deemed safe" by the department's bomb squad.

A New York Police Department spokesman says an officer at Republican President Donald Trump's high-rise home noticed the item at about 4:30 p.m. Friday.

Police closed off streets around the president's New York City high-rise as a precaution.

The tower was not been evacuated but a New York City traffic camera showed the police presence and road closures including normally busy Fifth Avenue.

The president was not in New York on Friday.

Sections of Trump Tower are open to the public, including its lobby and shops.

Public access has led to several scares involving items left by tourists, including a backpack containing toys that prompted an evacuation in 2016.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.