[jbob2000]

This is a two part solution. First, tighter controls on phone systems. Why are you allowed to spoof your number as if you're a local calling the local police department? This is dumb, police departments need a way to say "huh, this guy is calling from 2000km away, are we sure he's legit?". Second, police need better processes for identifying when to deploy force. Why can't they send a stealth car to scope out the scene before deploying a full swat team? Chill the fuck out on treating every call like a foreign army is invading.

[siruncledrew]

The second point is related to the first point. The police are being intentionally given bad information by the swatters in order to get the response of force by police (the reason why it’s “swatting” and not just calling the cops on someone).

If a ‘swatter’ called the police and said “Hey there’s a domestic disturbance going on next door”, then the response is basically sending a nearby squad car to check it out. That’s a pretty boring “prank” for a swatter if 2 cops just ring the doorbell and ask questions.

Thus the police have to be told something so serious sounding they would need to send SWAT. Something like “my neighbor is on drugs with a knife against his daughter’s throat threatening to kill his family, hurry!”.

These swatters are intentionally targeting people, so they can also BS enough personal details to make it sound plausible.

Human decency to not abuse this highly-serious system is not enough of a barrier to keep swatting douchebags from exploiting the system, so while the system needs adjusting, from an enforcement side this case is also a public reminder that swatting is not a cool prank that has serious consequences.

[paulddraper]

> Chill the fuck out on treating every call like a foreign army is invading.

I don't know if you're being serious or not, but some things are time sensitive, and a slow or underpowered response can be fatal.

It's not like the police force gets a kick out of deploying SWAT. Yes, obviously the response needs to be more precise, but hopefully not at the expense of quick response to real emergencies.

[geofft]

> It's not like the police force gets a kick out of deploying SWAT.

I'm actually not quite sure about this, unfortunately....

[soraminazuki]

> but hopefully not at the expense of quick response to real emergencies.

An overpowered response at the expense of innocent lives are not in any way better. It's actually worse, since the people responsible for the killings don't face the consequences like everyone else.

[paulddraper]

Agreed

[dragonwriter]

> I don't know if you're being serious or not, but some things are time sensitive, and a slow or underpowered response can be fatal.

And so can a hasty, under-/mis-informed, and/or overpowered response.