A powdery substance found in the mail by Carson City residents over the weekend of July 31 was not fentanyl or anything else dangerous, but residents were still right to report it to police, according to Carson City Sheriff Ken Furlong.
On July 31, rumors surfaced on social media that a few Carson City residents had found a powdery substance in mailed envelopes and that it had been identified by the authorities as fentanyl. The first part is true, the last not. Furlong said what looked like a dangerous substance turned out to be benign promotional material from a real estate marketing scheme. The packages had been broken open, and the substance was tested by the fire department and hazmat team.
The powder had the acidity of lemonade but was not a drug or otherwise dangerous material, Furlong said.
The sheriff’s office will continue looking into the matter and who is responsible for the mailers, but Furlong said he was glad rumors and any potential panic were quelled by a fast response.
“The lighter side of this is people had concerns and called right away, and that allowed us to put to rest rumors on social media,” he said.
When asked if reporting too many concerns could clog up emergency service lines, he said the opposite is true: it allows the sheriff’s office to address concerns quickly and accurately. He would rather see residents reporting concerns, even if there’s not a real threat, than not reporting suspicious activity.
Residents can call the non-emergency dispatch line at 775-887-COPS.
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