Caller ID blocks could be bypassed to trace bomb threats to Jewish centers

Enlarge / Las Vegas police search the Jewish Community Center of Southern Nevada after an employee received a suspicious phone call that led about 10 people to evacuate the building on February 27, 2017. (credit: Getty Images | Ethan Miller)

US Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) wants to let Jewish Community Centers (JCCs) trace the phone numbers of people who call bomb threats in to the facilities and has asked for a waiver of caller ID privacy rules to make that happen. Schumer asked for the waiver today in a letter sent to Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai, who is considering the request.

"On Monday, February 27, 2017, bomb threats were simultaneously made to JCCs in 11 states across the nation," Schumer wrote. The states were Alabama, Delaware, Florida, Indiana, Maryland, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Virginia.

"Since the beginning of 2017, there have been 69 incidents at 54 JCCs in 27 states, in addition to one Canadian province," Schumer continued. "Monday's incident makes this the fifth wave of threats in the past two months." The attacks have disrupted classrooms, required deployment of bomb squads and other SWAT equipment, and "traumatized the Jewish community and struck fear in homes across the country," he wrote.

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