COEUR d'ALENE - The Coeur d'Alene Police Department is searching for the person who placed a fake explosive device inside a pipe at the Kootenai County Sheriff's office campus on Saturday.

The investigation is ongoing, but so far there are no leads, Sgt. Christie Wood said Monday.

Initially described as a wireless phone attached to a red stick, the device was found by a worker in the sheriff's labor program who was cleaning the grounds. It was partially protruding from a drain pipe, and looked like an explosive.

Using a specialized robot, personnel from the Spokane City/County Bomb Squad dismantled the device. They discovered it was not a bomb, but in fact a road flare with a battery pushed into one end, attached to a cell phone.

A portion of Government Way was closed for several hours on Saturday while the device was inspected. Police patrolled the intersections of Kathleen and Dalton avenues, preventing any traffic from driving past the sheriff's campus.

Even though the bomb was a hoax, "It took a lot of manpower and effort to control the scene," Wood said. "We're always going to take these things seriously."

In Idaho, placing a fake explosive device is a felony.

The culprit will be easier to find if someone steps forward and provides information, Wood said. She submitted the case to Crime Stoppers on Monday, and a reward will be offered.

"Somebody in the public knows who did this," Wood said.