Suspicious package in Hempstead is false alarm

The suspicious package discovered Tuesday morning not far from the Nassau County First District courthouse in Hempstead turned out to be a false alarm, police said.

Police said the package was reported at about 8 a.m.

Arson / Bomb Squad detectives were dispatched to the scene and police said Jackson Street was cordoned off between North Franklin and Main streets, the area locked down.

It was not immediately clear how close the scene was to the courthouse -- or what investigators discovered inside the suspicious package.

A police spokeswoman said only: "It was not a bomb."