January 18, 2012 The FBI has grown increasingly concerned about the number of prank calls to police that warrant mobilizing SWAT teams to respond to hostage situations, which pose a very real threat to citizens and law enforcement officers and on average, each prank call cost $10,000 in resources.
The FBI coined the term "swatting" to describe the phenomenon. The latest incident which took place in a Georgia town, demonstrates the serious risks posed to both law enforcement officers and communities across the U.S. in recent months.
On January 3, the Barrow County Sheriff's Office received a 911 call that someone had been shot inside a home. The caller said the shooter was still inside and was threatening to kill himself.
As police approached the residence, a nine year old girl and her younger sister were about to walk the dog. The girls watched as SWAT team members surrounded the home and brought their father out at gunpoint. Shameka Williams, the girl's mother told an Atlanta news station she raced home after a frantic call from her daughter.
"I didn't know what to think. I was just scared. I was just trying to get home."
FBI officials say similar incidents of “swatting” by malicious individuals using “spoofing” techniques are occurring at an alarming rate across the country. The Barrow County 'swatting' incident was the third known incident in the state of Georgia in 2012.
Cyber criminals are using modified telephone caller identification that allows them to mask their identities while reporting hostage situations or bomb incidents with the purpose of getting SWAT forces deployed on innocent victims, either for revenge or just bragging rights.
Advanced technology allows swatters to appear as though they are calling 911 from the home phone number of their targets while reporting a gruesome murder or a home intrusion.
Currently, the FBI says the agency is tracking about 100 similar cases nationwide. Roger Hixson, the technical issues director at the National Emergency Number Association points out:
"This [trend] could also be a mechanism that terrorists use to cause a distraction at one location while the real event is happening at another location."
In August, 2011, police officers from Burr Ridge, Oak Brook, and Clarendon Hills descended upon a Hinsdale, Illinois home after receiving a 911 call of 'shots fired' from a high-powered rifle at family members inside the residence.
According to the Hinsdale Deputy Chief Mark Wodka, a victim who appeared 'very alarmed' by the police team's show of force was all that SWAT team members discovered upon arrival.
Hinsdale police are working with the FBI and AT&T in the investigation to track down those responsible for the 911 hoax, said Wodka.
State and local law enforcement agencies around the country are working together with the FBI and telecommunications providers to address swatting incidents.
Kevin Kolbye, the assistant special agent in charge of the FBI's Dallas office, headed the first federal swatting case in 2007, has since followed other swatting incidents across America. Kolbye said:
"Once you catch a swatter or a group that is committing these crimes, they are usually responsible for multiple swatting incidents."
After a December swatting incident, Colorado Springs Police Sgt. Phillip LeBeau said that in some cases, criminals have used swatting to get police to focus their resources on one side of town while they attempt to commit a crime in another.
The FBI has put together a profile of the average swatter, who is described as typically a young males, in their 20's and 30's, most are computer hackers working alone or in groups. The motive is often revenge or ego rather than monetary gain.
Swatters face federal charges of conspiracy, which carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison, and fraud, with a maximum of 20 years - if convicted.
Critics contend that the willingness of police departments to use their SWAT teams are to blame for the increase of “swatting” incidents.
The community is placed in harms way as responders rush to the scene, taking them away from real emergencies. Law enforcement officers, including SWAT members are also placed in danger as unsuspecting residents may try to defend themselves.
On January 5, a twelve member SWAT team in Ogden, Utah attempted to serve a probable cause warrant at the home of a 37-year-old Army veteran. The "knock-and-announce" approach went terribly wrong when Matthew Stewart, a Gulf War Veteran shot six officers, fatally wounding one officer, Jared Francom a father and husband.
Police said they believed the suspect was a drug dealer, however, it has been widely reported that Stewart was growing a small amount of medical marijuana to help cope with the effects of PTSD. He was employed at a local WalMart and had no criminal record.
SWAT teams use of excessive force has been more controversial as details continue to surface of police forces in America are purchasing "toys" such as tankers and drones for their forces using U.S. Department of Homeland Security grants.
Comments