Written by Christian LeDuc for WCPO
The John A. Roebling Suspension Bridge is back open after being shut down early Tuesday morning because of yet another bomb threat, Covington police said.
Law enforcement received the threat late Monday night. Investigators said they closed the bridge from around 12 a.m. to 2 a.m. for the investigation Tuesday.
This is the fourth time in a week the bridge has been shut down due to police activity.
Around 4:30 p.m. Monday the bridge was closed after a passerby reported a suspicious bag they spotted in the roadway portion of the bridge. Investigators determined the bag just contained bedding and the bridge was reopened to both vehicle and foot traffic.
Investigators first responded to the bridge early Wednesday morning after receiving a 911 call from a man threatening to shoot police and put pipe bombs on the bridge. That threat was deemed not credible.
The bridge was shut down again Sunday morning due to another bomb threat as Bengals fans tailgated nearby.
The FBI is now working to determine who is responsible for the fake threats.
When it comes to false reports, communications consultant Fred Posner said technology has made it difficult to track down culprits. Posner said these reports continue to become more prevalent because there is a lack of repercussions.
“There’s absolutely no ramifications when someone does this,” he said. “Even if law enforcement gets to find out who it is and that is an extremely exhaustive amount of work for law enforcement to do. Nothing happens.”
The Louisville FBI office is leading an investigation into the threats. In a statement, Louisville FBI said in part, “We appreciate everyone’s patience during the incident and continue to urge the public to remain vigilant and immediately report all suspicious activity to law enforcement.”