Courthouse Evacuated For Unattended Bag

Photo: SBSO, Wikipedia

Update by Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office
2:30 p.m. May 3, 2019

Just before 9:00 a.m. this morning, May 3, 2019, a visitor at the Santa Barbara County Courthouse located in the 1100 block of Anacapa Street observed a messenger bag that appeared to be hidden under a bench in a hallway on the first floor. Sheriff’s bailiffs were notified and based on the suspicious circumstances, the Sheriff’s Bomb Squad was deployed. Several hundred people were evacuated from the building while the Bomb Squad investigated. Traffic was re-routed around the historic building located in downtown Santa Barbara.

The Sheriff’s Bomb Squad utilized its robot to examine the messenger bag. At approximately 11:30 a.m. during the investigation, the owner came forward and claimed to have left his bag unattended. It was determined there was nothing suspicious inside the bag and the evacuation was lifted.

This case is a great example of what can happen when you leave your bag unattended, especially in a government building. The Sheriff’s Office wants to take this opportunity to praise the community member who saw something suspicious and reported it immediately. Unattended bags or items should always be reported unless they are in an area that is considered normal. Never attempt to examine or move an unattended bag yourself but report it immediately to authorities.

The Sheriff’s Bomb Squad is the only public safety Bomb Squad in Santa Barbara County. The squad serves the entire county and all law enforcement jurisdictions at no charge to any requesting agency. The Sheriff’s Bomb Squad provides expert explosive and bomb disposal response 24 hours per day, 365 days a year.


Update by edhat staff

11:15 a.m. May 3, 2019
 
Around 11:00 a.m., Roger the Scanner Guy reported a Code 4 (no further assistance needed) at the evacuation area. Employees were let back into the building. 
 
When more information becomes available, we’ll update this article.

Update by Santa Barbara Sheriff’s Department

9:44 a.m. May 3, 2019

Sheriff’s Bomb Squad is responding to investigate a suspicious package that was located inside the Santa Barbara Courthouse just before 9 a.m. this morning. The building has been evacuated. Please avoid the area until its determined to be safe.


Reported by Roger the Scanner Guy

9:23 a.m. May 3, 2019

The Santa Barbara Courthouse is being evacuated downtown. Santa Barbara Police are on the scene blocking traffic on Figueroa between Santa Barbara and Anacapa streets.

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Written by Roger

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12 Comments

  1. “Code 4 means all is ok” – that took 3.5 seconds to type. So, LESS time than BEBE took to google it. We’re not reading this site to learn police codes or research new terms. This is a NEWS SITE, not a research project. All I asked was what does Code 4 mean, albeit with a bit of frustrated tone maybe.

  2. It’s not so much asking what it means, as it is saying in a roundabout way: “Roger dear, would you be a dove and next time just quickly say what the code means, so those of us who are concerned about a bomb scare might know that everything is OK, or not? Sorry I caused such kerfuffle. Jeez!

  3. I hope all you complainers are PAID subscribers, y’all expect way too much from a (basically) community-run site. And by the way, it does not take longer to google it than it does to type out and post a comment asking what it means, especially not if you append complaints to your comment. Roger, thanks for what you do!!! No complaints here 🙂

  4. I dunno, I actually enjoy learning the police codes, you’d be surprised how often you hear them used once you become aware of their meanings. What news sites do you read that give you up to the minute updates, with translated codes? Ever read “if you give a moose a muffin”?

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