January 1st 2024.
Georgia lawmakers are facing a dramatic increase in ‘swatting’ attacks. State Senator Kim Jackson received a swatting call to her DeKalb County home on Dec. 26. Swatting is the malicious act of placing an emergency call to law enforcement with false pretenses. In a statement, Jackson said she is thankful for the responsiveness of officers and specifically mentioned Sgt. Miller as the first officer that she encountered. Jackson is the fifth state lawmaker to fall victim to swatting on Christmas Day or the day after.
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene claims this is the eighth occurrence at her home in Rome. Senator John Albers wasn’t home when police arrived at his home, but his son was. Albers is pushing for the people behind the calls to be arrested, as he stated “This is a serious crime, and these people who are doing this need to be arrested. They need to understand the consequences of their actions.”
Georgia state Sen. Clint Dixon found the incident “quite startling”. He was home in Buford with his wife and children on Christmas Day when “all of a sudden, I heard her, you know, start yelling, ‘There’s police running at the door.’ She saw on our Ring doorbell,” he said.
Georgia lawmakers aren’t the only ones under attack, as state and city officials across the country have experienced swatting. Senator Rick Scott, Boston Mayor Michelle Wu and Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost are among the list of victims.
The FBI has collaborated with local law enforcement agencies to create a national database to track swatting calls. This was in response to the 2017 hoax call in Wichita, Kansas, which resulted in Andrew Finch being shot and killed by a police officer. Finch’s two children were awarded a $5 million lawsuit settlement in early 2023.
It is important to use resources to identify and eliminate fake emergency calls as they take away from real ones. Swatting is a serious crime and those behind these attacks must be held accountable to the full extent of the law.
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