Medford, Ore. — The prank known as “swatting” not only drains law enforcement resources and incites fear to the public, Medford Police Lieutenant Mike Budreau said it can also be very dangerous.
“Swatting” is when someone calls to make a false report of a serious crime. Often times the SWAT team will be called out before officers discover the call was just a hoax.
It happened Monday in Medford. Lt. Budreau said a man called dispatch saying he’d shot his wife and threatened to shoot their two kids. He said they were at the Best Western on Barnett Road. Officers swarmed the area, guns drawn. It turned out to be a hoax.
“You really can’t determine if it’s bogus for sure until you arrive on scene and determine everyone’s okay everyone’s safe and there’s nothing to support the caller’s statements,” Budreau said.
Budreau said since 911 calls are immediately traced, the criminal will call the non-emergency dispatch line and use new technology that makes their call untraceable. While there may be red flags as to whether or not the call is legitimate officers have to respond to every call like it’s a serious threat.
The prank is no laughing matter. Budreau said whoever called could face federal charges. While Monday’s incident resolved peacefully that may not always be the case.
“We’re real officers with real weapons responding to these calls. There’s always the potential for violence, there’s always the potential for something really bad to happen,” he said.
Medford Police isn’t the only agency dealing with “swatting” calls. Oregon State Police and the Josephine County Sheriff’s Department responded to a false report of people with guns at Rogue Community College campus in Grants Pass. Another caller back in May reported a brutal murder at a home in Jacksonville. That case was also a hoax.
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