An unfounded bomb threat forced the evacuation of a University City-area Jewish community center Tuesday amid a rash of similar crimes across the country.
Authorities were alerted to the threat against Lawrence Family Jewish Community Center on Executive Drive shortly before 9 a.m., according to San Diego Police.
Authorities searched the facility with police dogs and determined that no hazards existed, Sgt. Lisa McKean said. Officials gave an all-clear about 10:30 a.m., she said.
A number of other Jewish centers in Colorado, Connecticut, New Jersey, New York, Utah and Wisconsin were also evacuated due to similar threats, according to news reports.
It was the third spate of such threats this month.
On Jan. 18, bomb threats were made to 27 Jewish community centers in 17 states, according to the JCC Association of North America. The FBI launched an investigation after the first round of bogus threats affected 16 centers in nine states on Jan. 9.
“Unfortunately, such threats are not new to the Jewish community,” said Tammy Gillies, San Diego regional director for the Anti-Defamation League. “While each of these threats must be taken seriously, and excellent preparation is key to a good response, bomb threats are most often not credible and are usually used as scare tactics in order to disrupt an institution’s operations, and to cause fear and panic. At this juncture, none of these threats appear to be credible.”
City News Service contributed to this article.