Swatting, a hoax that involves making false reports to police to draw a SWAT team to someone’s home, has become increasingly common in recent years. There are approximately 400 swatting incidents nationally each year. A Dec. 28 incident in Kansas resulted in a fatal police shooting.
Congresswoman Katherine Clark re-filed a bill this session, which has bipartisan support, intended to combat online harassment and swatting. While making false police reports is already a crime, Clark said her bill would improve responses to incidents that occur across state lines. The bill sits in the House Judiciary Committee.