Phoenix police responded to a bomb threat two blocks away from the Downtown Phoenix campus Monday night.
An inert bomb-like device was discovered nestled against the transit bureau building on 1st Avenue after a 911 call came in at 8:30 p.m., Phoenix police spokesman Sgt. Trent Crump said.
“Most of the speculation out here has been in sync with the work slow-down and negotiations for the transit bureau [but] we don’t know what the motive is yet,” Crump said.
State Press Television By Samantha Cary and Shayne Dwyer
Three transit unions are currently threatening a labor strike against Veolia Transit Services, a company that operates 33 percent of the Valley’s bus routes.
Teamsters’ Local 104 maintenance union has been locked out of negotiations and 50 of its employees have been denied working privileges since Monday morning, according to the city of Phoenix’s website.
“It’s too early to try and decide what the motive in this case,” Crump said. “I think it’s easy to point a finger over at that dispute but we don’t have any evidence to suggest that it’s related at this point.”
There was no note or evident implication on who set the device.
“We will start an investigation as to who put the device out here [and] why it was out here,” Crump said.
The device was a cardboard box with numerous packages inside, multiple wires and an electrical component hooked to the contents of the package, Crump said, adding that the device was also making noise.
Robots were used to detonate one of the packages.
“We brought one of the packages out and were able to disrupt the package [and] blow it open out here on Van Buren to try to determine what was inside the inner packages,” Crump said.
Police will be checking video surveillance in the area, fingerprints and DNA, Crump said.
It is being reported as a simulated device and has been deemed safe by bomb squad officials, Crump said.
The Van Buren light rail station was closed during the incident. Trains ran through the station without stopping.
Anyone who has any information is asked to contact Phoenix police or Silent Witness at 1-800-WITNESS.
No further information was available.
Contact the reporter at tdmcknig@asu.edu
