At Los Angeles International Airport last spring, a dispatcher received an anonymous call suggesting that a Spirit Airlines flight to Las Vegas was “going to blow up.” In April, a legal clinic employee received a phone call from someone threatening to bring a grenade to the office if they didn’t receive a callback from an attorney. In October, someone reported a bomb was inside L.A. City Hall. All were serious threats fielded by the Los Angeles Police Department. Follow up investigations showed that all were fabricated. What separated the City Hall case from the other two is that authorities are investigating Brian Williams, a top deputy to Mayor Karen Bass, on suspicion of making the false claim, reports the Los Angeles Times. The revelation brought a range of responses, from the requisite internet snark — “Maybe he had a test that he hadn’t studied for?” — to open-mouthed shock of City Hall and LAPD staffers who said the allegations didn’t square with the man they knew. Law enforcement experts say such threats are common and tend to ramp up around major social events, such as a national election. Other spikes in reports of suspicious bags or items happen in the wake of a major incident, such as the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing, when authorities were inundated by reports from the newly vigilant public.
Even if the reports appear to be a hoax at first glance, authorities say they can’t take chances and have to investigate each one, which involves clearing a building and bringing in explosive-sniffing dogs. LAPD records show the department has investigated scores of bomb threats at government offices, schools and sports arenas, including at least 144 cases in which police found an explosive device. Last year, there were 34 such cases, tied for the highest number in at least five years. With the growth of privacy-focused technology and social media, identifying the source of the threat can be difficult. Questions remain about when LAPD investigators first began to suspect Williams may have been involved, and when they informed department leaders and Bass’ office of the investigation. An attorney for Williams said that he was innocent and “intends to vigorously fight the allegations."