FOLEY, Ala. - Foley Police found a suspicious package with a white powdery substance, which showed as corn starch after tests, and police are investigating if there was any ill intent behind the letter.

Foley Police Chief David Wilson said an officer responded to a call at a house about "a suspicious piece of mail," and the officer brought the package to the Foley Police Department.

"It was sent to someone's house and we responded to investigate it," Wilson said.

After it was brought to the department, there were concerns that it was not properly sealed enough and the police department called in the Foley Fire Department and a Hazmat team for safety purposes.

"It was in a plastic bag. He thought it was sealed enough and unfortunately brought it to the police department," Wilson said. "Once some supervisors saw that it was in a plastic bag and had a white powdery substance, we went ahead and initiated out of an abundance of caution some Hazmat procedures, which ended up placing the police department in lock down. We had out fire partners respond and check the substance out and make sure that it wasn't something dangerous."

Tests showed the substance to be corn starch, Wilson said.

"It was tested by the Foley Fire Department and Saraland Fire Department Hazmat unit, and it was tested with specific equipment and determined it was corn starch," Wilson said.

Wilson said some personnel and detectives were in lock down in the building "for their own safety," and the lock down lasted around two hours.

The police department is looking into other details of the letter and why it was sent with the substance, Wilson said, and there may be a criminal investigation to come.

"We're checking into who sent it, why they sent it and there still may be a criminal investigation depending on that," Wilson said. "As far as the white powdery substance that was in the letter, we just had to take precautions in the event that it was something dangerous and that plastic bag did not contain it.

"If there was ill intent, we'll check into it with a criminal investigation…There was a powdery substance which scares people when they get it in the mail."