A fake emergency call in Saratoga County pulled deputies away from an ongoing investigation, an example of what law enforcement officials say is a growing crime that endangers both officers and the public.
Deputies were working a burglary case at a home when a call came over the radio reporting an active shooter at the Wilton Mall, Saratoga County Sheriff Jeff Brown said.
“One of the subjects that they were looking to make contact with in the home on the burglary case, in fact, called in a false call of an active shooter in the Wilton Mall in an attempt to distract the police away from the home that they were at,” Brown said.
The tactic is known as swatting, said Frank Wiley, a lecturer at the University at Albany.
“Swatting is a hoax call that is intended to create a significant police response, the kind of response that you would normally associate with the idea of the SWAT units, special weapons and tactics,” Wiley said.
Because first responders arrive expecting the worst, Brown said, everyone at the scene is put at risk.
“Maybe they’re pulling a rifle from their vehicle. And now you got that happening, along with people that are at that location, wherever it may be, that have no idea what’s going on,” Brown said.
The effects extend beyond the scene itself. Every deputy sent to a false call is unavailable for other emergencies.
“There could be an effect on other calls for service that are not going to be handled, certainly not nearly as promptly due to a false call of something serious coming in,” Brown said.
Because swatting calls typically include a threat to life, the FBI assists local agencies, said Geoffrey Hunter, assistant special agent in charge of the FBI’s Albany office.
“Oftentimes, we’re on the phone live time with our local or state partners as they’re receiving these threats coming in. And we’re trying to help them identify potential red flags that may indicate a swatting event,” Hunter said.
The FBI considers swatting a widespread national problem.
“We’re probably looking at over a thousand swatting events nationally in any given year,” Hunter said.
Wiley, a longtime law enforcement veteran, said the problem is growing. He cited figures showing swatting incidents have risen about 23% over the past two years.
A single response can cost a police agency around $17,000, Wiley said. The toll falls not only on department budgets but also on the people working the front lines.
The FBI said it works closely with local police, 911 centers, schools and telecommunications providers to investigate swatting incidents and to provide training and awareness briefings.