As the start of a new school year quickly approaches, local law enforcement agencies are urging parents to talk to their kids about the dangers of “swatting,” a fake call about a threat or emergency.
“It goes beyond a prank. This is a serious violation of the law,” said retired criminal justice professor and former police officer Dr. Tod Burke.
The 2022-23 school year was filled with several instances of swatting, including the incidents at William Fleming High School in September, E.C. Glass High School in January, and even Radford University fell victim to swatting.
“I don’t think children realize how dangerous it is. First off you’ve got to think of the other people inside, them being scared or trying to take cover or trying to hide and getting hurt,” said Maj. John Wilks with the Bedford County Sheriff’s Office.
This upcoming school year, stricter punishment is in place for people responsible.
Perpetrators can now face a Class 1 Misdemeanor, the most serious of misdemeanors.
Punishment can be a $2,500 fine and up to 12 months in jail.
“It doesn’t matter whether you’re a juvenile or an adult, this is a serious crime,” said Dr. Burke.
Maj. Wilks and Dr. Burke both hope the changes to the law will stop people from making these kinds of calls.
“It’s a pretty big deal, that’s why I’m glad the penalty has been advanced and hopefully that will deter a lot of it,” said Maj. Wilks.
They encourage parents to speak with their students and emphasize making an unsubstantiated emergency phone call or fake threat is not a prank, it is serious and can be punishable by time in jail.