On Sunday, 911 dispatchers with the Hollywood, Florida Police Department received a call from a male making a bomb threat. Dispatchers initiated the bomb threat protocol and were standing by with their checklist, ready to take down all information about the caller. Was it a man or woman, what language were they speaking, did they have an accent, was there any background noise, etc., and of course, what was the target of the threat? They awaited the bomber’s demands.
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The bomber told dispatchers that he wanted $10,000 or he would blow up the iconic’ Hollywood’ sign with pipe bombs. The dispatchers took down the information and then called the Los Angeles Police Department – Hollywood division 2,700 miles west and relayed the information to them, as that is where the sign is located.
It’s unclear whether the caller had any idea that he dialed the wrong number, calling the Hollywood, Florida, police department instead of the LAPD, which oversees the Hollywood neighborhood in California where the iconic sign is located.
The caller was not identified, and it is unknown where he called from as the call came in from a “burner phone” KTLA spoke with the Florida and California authorities, who said they were aware of the call. A report was eventually directed to the appropriate agency at the Los Angeles Police Department, and the call was determined to be a hoax and the threat nonexistent.
Threats and vandalism have occurred to the Hollywood sign in the past. One time the sign was tampered with and read” Hollyweed.” Still, the Hollywood sign is under 24/7 video surveillance, so it’s always watched closely, and additional safety measures are in place. Security on the sign has been continuously upgraded with cameras and sensors that let the police know if anyone tries to tamper with it.
Threat to Hollywood Sign mistakenly made to Florida policehttps://t.co/4xAWRWAvgY
— usa jaun news (@UsaJaun) February 24, 2023
A Florida man would've never made this mistake — Hollywood sign bomb threat: Hollywood, Florida confused with Hollywood, California https://t.co/D4ZRPcrfXI pic.twitter.com/HR9CHUuMcd
— Florida Man (@FloridaMan__) February 22, 2023
LAPD checked it out and found no credible threat at all. There have been no arrests, but the case is under investigation.
Here’s some Hollywood trivia for Florida Jolt Readers. Hollywood, California, was incorporated as a municipality in 1903 and was consolidated with the City of Los Angeles in 1910.
In 1920, Joseph Young arrived in South Florida to create his “Dream City in Florida.” His vision included the beaches of the Atlantic Ocean stretching westward with man-made lakes, infrastructure, roads, and the Intracoastal Waterway.
Young bought up thousands of acres of land around 1920 and named his new town “Hollywood by the Sea” to distinguish it from his other real-estate venture, “Hollywood in the Hills,” in New York.
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After Young spent millions of dollars on the city’s construction, he was elected the first mayor in 1925, when it was incorporated as just Hollywood. This new town quickly became home to northerners who fled the cold north during the winter and escaped the south during the summer to avoid the harsh weather. By 1960, Hollywood had more than 2,400 hotel units and 12,170 single-family homes.
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