The legislation is intended to curb the false reporting of emergencies to send law enforcement to someone’s home.
Senators Rick Scott of Florida, Tommy Tuberville of Alabama, and Senator Mike Rounds of South Dakota introduced a bill this week to make “swatting,“ falsely sending law enforcement to another person’s home, a more serious offense.
The Preserving Safe Communities by Ending Swatting Act would impose strict penalties for this potentially dangerous harassment technique by changing the federal criminal hoax statute, adding up to 20 years of prison time for the perpetrator if a person is seriously injured during a falsely reported home raid.
“Last month, criminals attempted a ‘swatting’ on my home in Florida in a despicable act of cowardice, clearly intending to terrorize my family and inflict fear and violence,” Senator Scott wrote. “This is happening around the nation, not just to elected officials, but also to hundreds of Jewish institutions. It’s sickening, dangerous and we must stop it.”
As the Lord Leads, Pray with Us…
- For the senators as they endeavor to increase criminal penalties for endangering others through the false reporting of a crisis.
- For members of law enforcement and first responders as they come to the aid of Americans each day.
Sources: The Hill, CBS News
