Earlier this year, students, staff, and faculty of several Pennsylvania universities waited in terror as SWAT teams and law enforcement agencies responded to false reports of active shooters on their campuses. “Swatting” incidents like these cause many parents unnecessary fear, waste local emergency response resources, and put residents in danger while emergency responses are diverted from real emergencies. Police, firefighters, and other first responders are also put in danger as they rush to the scene and handle potential altercations.  

 

Over the last several years, the number of swatting incidents has increased dramatically. As a result of these troubling incidents, we will be introducing swatting legislation to clarify that the offense of “false alarms to agencies of public safety” involves knowingly and intentionally making a false report of a crime or medical or other emergency. Under the bill, courts would be authorized to order a person convicted or adjudicated to pay the state or local government unit’s costs of responding to the false report, including the use of police, fire, medical, or other emergency response personnel, vehicles, and teams. 

 

We believe strengthening the provisions of our law will provide greater protection to our communities by creating a greater deterrent for those who may seek to engage in this activity. Please join us in a truly bipartisan effort to address this public safety issue by signing on to this proposal.