THE TERM SWATTING REFERS TO HOAX 911 CALLS BEING PLACED TO LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICIALS EITHER CALLING ABOUT AN ARMED INTRUDER OR AN ACTIVE SHOOTER, SIMILAR TO WHAT WE SAW TODAY. NOW, WE SPOKE TO SOME SECURITY EXPERTS WHO SAY THIS IS AN ALARMING TREND AND THESE CALLS ARE ACTUALLY ON THE RISE. WE DON’T KNOW THE REASONING BEHIND IT JUST TO CAUSE TERROR. I MEAN, THAT IS SO THOUGHTLESS. SO IT JUST CAN EVEN AS A REASONABLE PERSON CAME TO THINK ABOUT THE REASONING WHY TO MAKE THIS CALL. MATT HARDY WITH THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF SCHOOL RESOURCE OFFICER SAYS START WITH CALLS LIKE THE ONES SCATTERED ACROSS OUR REGION TODAY ARE ON THE RISE, NOT JUST IN THE LAST FEW YEARS. IN THE PAST SIX MONTHS THERE’S BEEN A HUGE INCREASE IN THESE. AND WHILE THESE CALLS ARE FAKE, THEY PRESENT REAL DANGERS, PHYSICAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL, DANGEROUS TO THOSE INSIDE OF THE SCHOOL AND TO THOSE RESPONDING TO THE SCENES. IT’S CHALLENGING BECAUSE YOU HAVE TO TAKE EVERY THREAT AS IF IT’S REAL. YOU CAN’T DISMISS IT. SO THAT MEANS THAT WE ARE CONSTANTLY ON THE LOOKOUT FOR THIS. SEAN BROOKS IS THE DIRECTOR OF COMMUNITY SECURITY FOR THE JEWISH FEDERATION OF GREATER PITTSBURGH. SHE’S ALSO A MOM. IN FACT, HER KIDS WERE SOME OF THE HUNDREDS PLACED IN A PRECAUTIONARY LOCKDOWN AS THIS MORNING’S EVENTS UNFOLDED. IT’S STILL NEVER A GOOD FEELING GETTING THE ALERT THAT YOUR YOUR CHILD’S SCHOOL IS ON LOCKDOWN. BUT TODAY WAS AN EXAMPLE OF OUR COMMUNITY COMING TOGETHER. COMMUNITY LEADERS, LAW ENFORCEMENT, SECURITY PROFESSIONALS, MEDIA JUST STANDING TOGETHER AND SAYING, WE KNOW WHAT’S HAPPENING. WE’RE GOING TO ADDRESS IT AND WE ARE GOING TO RESTORE SAFETY TO THE COMMUNITY. AND IN EACH CRITICAL INCIDENT, LIKE WE SAW TODAY, THESE SECURITY EXPERTS SAY THERE ARE LESSONS LEARNED, BOTH GOOD AND BAD. THEY SAY THEY LEARN FROM THE BAD AND THEY TAKE THE GOOD AND USE THAT IN SITUATIONS MOVING FORWARD. HOPEFULLY SITUATIONS THAT THEY DON’T HAVE TO DEAL WITH, BUT KNOW THAT THEY ARE PREPARED TO HANDLE. REPORTING FR
Security officials say 'swatting' calls are on the rise
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Updated: 7:57 PM EDT Mar 29, 2023
Large police presences converged on multiple schools across Pennsylvania Wednesday as authorities investigated calls of an active shooter. No active shooters were found in any of these incidents. These fake 9-1-1 calls are also known as 'swatting.' According to the National Association of School Resource Officers (NASRO), these calls are on the rise. "We've seen an increase in the last six months," explained Mac Hardy, the Director of Operations for the National Association of School Resource Officers. The NASRO defines the term ‘swatting’ as hoax calls being placed to 9-1-1 reporting an emergency such as an armed intruder, active shooting or another critical incident that necessitates a large and immediate law enforcement response possibly including a SWAT team. "We don't know the reasoning behind it just to cause terror. I mean, that's it's so thoughtless," said Hardy. "I just can't even, as a reasonable person, come to think about the reasoning why someone would make this call." Hardy says while these swatting calls are fake, they present real dangers both physical and psychological to all involved. For law enforcement, these are high-priority calls that will result in high-speed response. Hardy says there are risks in these rapid response situations for the first responder and the public. It also diverts first responders away from possible real emergencies. These false calls also cause distress and raise anxiety levels for all involved, including students, parents, teachers and first responders. That was especially true in Wednesday's events in Pittsburgh which happened just days after 6 people were shot inside of a Nashville school. "It's challenging because you have to take every threat as if it's real. You can't dismiss it so that means we are constantly on the lookout for this," said Shawn Brokos, the director of Community Security for the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh. "It's still never a good feeling getting the alert that your child's school is on lockdown. I got one myself. My kids are in a school district that locked down and there's still that anxiety of what's happening," said Brokos. "But today was an example of our community coming together, community leaders, law enforcement, security professionals, media just banding together and saying, we know what's happening. We are going to address it and we are going to restore safety to the community."
Large police presences converged on multiple schools across Pennsylvania Wednesday as authorities investigated calls of an active shooter. No active shooters were found in any of these incidents. These fake 9-1-1 calls are also known as 'swatting.' According to the National Association of School Resource Officers (NASRO), these calls are on the rise.
"We've seen an increase [in these calls] in the last six months," explained Mac Hardy, the Director of Operations for the National Association of School Resource Officers.
The NASRO defines the term ‘swatting’ as hoax calls being placed to 9-1-1 reporting an emergency such as an armed intruder, active shooting or another critical incident that necessitates a large and immediate law enforcement response possibly including a SWAT team.
"We don't know the reasoning behind it just to cause terror. I mean, that's it's so thoughtless," said Hardy. "I just can't even, as a reasonable person, come to think about the reasoning why someone would make this call."
Hardy says while these swatting calls are fake, they present real dangers both physical and psychological to all involved. For law enforcement, these are high-priority calls that will result in high-speed response. Hardy says there are risks in these rapid response situations for the first responder and the public. It also diverts first responders away from possible real emergencies.
These false calls also cause distress and raise anxiety levels for all involved, including students, parents, teachers and first responders. That was especially true in Wednesday's events in Pittsburgh which happened just days after 6 people were shot inside of a Nashville school.
"It's challenging because you have to take every threat as if it's real. You can't dismiss it so that means we are constantly on the lookout for this," said Shawn Brokos, the director of Community Security for the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh.
"It's still never a good feeling getting the alert that your child's school is on lockdown. I got one myself. My kids are in a school district that locked down and there's still that anxiety of what's happening," said Brokos.
"But today was an example of our community coming together, community leaders, law enforcement, security professionals, media just banding together and saying, we know what's happening. We are going to address it and we are going to restore safety to the community."
