A member of the Alabama House of Representative pre-filed a bill to make false calls to prompt a police response a crime. Democrat Phillip Ensler says his measure was prompted by two high profile cases of “swatting,” one at a Pell City Walmart, and his own Synagogue.
The Pell City Police Department says it received a 911 call for an active shooting regarding two to three people in a break room at a local Walmart store. Authorities said the caller gave police a detailed description of the incident that appeared to be accurate. However, 911 dispatchers lost contact with the caller as officers headed to the store. The Walmart was evacuated three times, but officers found no evidence of a crime. Pell City Police Chief Clay Morris told local news outlets that nine local law enforcement agencies responded to the call. He said that the incident was a waste of local resources.
One high profile example of “swatting” involved the judge in Donald Trump’s Federal election subversion case. The Associated Press reported a home owned by Judge Tanya Chutkin was targeted by a fake emergency, the latest in a spate of similar false swatting reports at the homes of public officials. Police said they responded to reports of a shooting at a Washington, D.C., home linked in public records to U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan, but found that no shooting had happened. Chutkan has been targeted by multiple threats since she was assigned the case. There's also been a spike in swatting attempts targeting public officials and hoax bomb threats at state capitols and courthouses, something Attorney General Merrick Garland has called unacceptable.
Alabama House member Ensler’s bill would make fake police calls a crime. The perpetrators would be required to pay restitution for the time and resources spent by law enforcement agencies. Also, the charge offenders face would correspond with the false crime they reported. For example, if a swatting call is made for a felony crime, the defendant could be charged with a class C felony. And, if someone is seriously injured during the emergency response, the charge would be enhanced to a class a felony. Ensler said he hopes House Bill 78, if passed, will deter these 'swatting' calls from happening.
