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[KHTS] – College of the Canyons received a fake telephone bomb threat late Monday night which prompted Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station deputies to step up patrol at both campuses.

At approximately 9 p.m., the Valencia Communication Center received a call from an individual who claimed to have planted bombs at the campus. The caller hung up without providing additional details.

“After coordination with the Sheriff’s Department, the call was deemed to be a hoax, and the college is open for normal operations,” said Eric Harnish, vice president of public information, advocacy and external relations for COC.

After the call, Campus Safety at COC immediately notified the sheriff’s station and two sweeps were conducted on Monday and Tuesday, Harnish said. Nothing was found during either search.

Deputies will be stepping up patrol at both of the college’s campuses in Valencia and Canyon Country throughout the day on Tuesday as a precaution, said Lt. Rob Hahnlein with the Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station.

“It was a basic threat,” Hahnlein said. “So far, nothing suspicious has been found.”

Harnish noted that calls of this nature are often received during finals week, however given the recent events, the college is asking everyone on campus to be alert to anything unusual.

COC in encouraging anyone who sees something out of the ordinary to contact Campus Safety at (661) 259-7800 ext. 3229, or the Communication Center Emergency Line by dialing “7” from any campus phone.