Jun. 26—TRAVERSE CITY — A number of government buildings were evacuated Wednesday afternoon and searched after a caller made a bomb threat to Grand Traverse County Central Dispatch.

Traverse City Police Chief Matthew Richmond said there was no threat to the public as of 4 p.m. Wednesday, and the sweep with the Grand Traverse County Sheriff’s bomb-detecting dogs was a precaution after county sheriff’s deputies arrested a man suspected of making the threat.

The Governmental Center wasn’t among the buildings Richmond said the man named in a message to dispatchers, but city and county administrators opted to evacuate it to be safe.

“I know it affects a lot of people when something like this happens, but we need to do everything we can to make sure they are safe and that we can make sure they can get back to their normal routines as quick as possible,” Richmond said.

Dispatchers were notified by text at 1:22 p.m. about threats to law enforcement, plus bomb threats to the Law Enforcement Center and the courthouses, Richmond said.

After finding the location of the sender, sheriff’s deputies spotted a man cycling north into the city on a bike trail. They arrested the 33-year-old South Boardman man, who resisted, then took him into custody.

Meanwhile, law enforcement shut down the entrances to the Governmental Center and worked to clear both courthouses, Richmond said. The threats also specified two businesses Richmond declined to name, but said police had been in contact to ensure those were clear as well.

Along with city police and county sheriff’s deputies, Michigan State Police also assisted in the response, Richmond said.

“Depending on who’s working and how many officers, with multiple locations, it’s very difficult to cover all those,” he said. “So it’s very important that we have this partnership with the local law enforcement — and that goes to central dispatch as well.”

Some employees from the Governmental Center gathered behind the Ida Tompkins Building a half-block away, and a few were petting a cat as they waited. At around 3:30 p.m., they returned to the Governmental Center parking lot.

There, City Manager Liz Vogel instructed them on the next steps: Those who had all their belongings could go home while the rest were taken through the building a few at a time to retrieve them.

Vogel said she hoped they would be back to regular business by Thursday morning. She acknowledged the threat came at a tumultuous time, given the disruptions to city and county operations following a June 12 cyberattack.

“It’s testing our resiliency, but I’ll tell you we have an incredible team, and I’m really proud and humbled to work with such great people who are quick on their feet and who have an incredible work ethic,” she said.

City Commissioner Tim Werner said he was on his way to meet with Vogel to talk about the cyberattack when he arrived at 2:25 p.m. to see the building emptying. One of the people leaving told him there had been a bomb scare, so he met with Vogel outside under a tree.

City Finance Director Heidi Scheppe said she was meeting with other city officials in a second-floor room when they were notified of the evacuation.

By 3:45 p.m. most employees had gone home and Vogel went with City Clerk Benjamin Marentette to NoBo Mrkt nearby to review the July 1 city commission meeting agenda with two commissioners.

Richmond said employees should be able to return to the Governmental Center Thursday morning.

The chief wouldn’t speculate as to why the man suspected of making the threats did so. The city police department will forward the case to the Grand Traverse County Prosecutor’s Office, which will decide whether or not to charge the man. If so, his name would be released after his arraignment.