U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer calls for Federal action on “swatting” calls while visiting Lockport (April 5, 2023)

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer is calling for Federal action following a slew of “swatting” calls to schools in New York State over the past week.

Schumer said 36 of these “swatting” calls falsely reporting a mass shooting resulted in police responding to 226 schools across the state last week. At a stop in Lockport, one of the school districts affected by a “swatting” call, he said he called and had written to the Federal Bureau of Investigations about the issue.

Schumer also announced a three-point plan that he says will combat these threats that includes:
– Calling on the FBI for a full investigation and to hold those involved accountable
– Pushing for $10 million to go toward more federal resources to help tackle swatting
– Asking that the FBI track swatting as its own crime

“Swatting” has been a growing trend in recent years in which a phone call or false report is made to unsuspecting resident’s home, a school, or other public place in order to evoke a police or SWAT team response. Reports indicate that this string of ‘swatting’ hoaxes may have come from outside the U.S.

Schumer said these false alerts are not only terrifying for the victims, but they can also cost law enforcement thousands of dollars, delay response to actual emergencies, and have even resulted in injury or death of innocent bystanders. In 2014, on Long Island, one fake swatting bomb threat ended up costing police nearly $100,000 dollars.

Governor Kathy Hochul meets with State Police, State Education Department on school safety (March 31, 2023)

While New York State has heightened monitoring in response to over a dozen “swatting” calls received by school districts last week, Jamestown Public Schools has also provided a safety update.

Governor Kathy Hochul met with state public safety and education leaders on Friday to coordinate preparedness and safety measures to ensure all school districts and local police have the latest guidance on school safety protocols.

Hochul, New York State Police, and the State Education Department issued a letter to school leaders directing them to review preparedness and safety measures in the wake of Monday’s school shooting in Nashville and increased “swatting” calls.

The state recommended that in the aftermath of the shooting and subsequent false threats of violence, school officials may wish to postpone any scheduled drills to reduce the risk of additional trauma to students and staff while maintaining awareness of processes and procedures to keep students and staff safe.

They also recommended schools that conduct drills should do so with the utmost care and caution and inform all participants that it is a drill.

The state also said that schools should immediately review building-level response plans, meet with staff assigned to critical Incident Command System roles, and follow annual drill requirements.

In a notice sent out by Jamestown Public Schools on Friday, Superintendent Dr. Kevin Whitaker laid out existing safety measures in the district as well as measures that will be implemented soon that include Incident Command System refresher training for building leaders, upgrades to door access systems district-wide, upgraded door alarms, a violence interrupter program in the community, and upgrades to security system and camera systems.

Dr. Whitaker again encouraged volunteer to join the district’s Community Safety Committee. Those who are interested may call (716) 483-4420.

New York State Police

WPIX reported that Governor Kathy Hochul said her office was aware of at least 34 school swatting incidents on Thursday.

Various police departments received false calls that an active shooter event was in progress in schools.

All of the threats have been unfounded.

Locally, schools that received these false swatting calls included districts in Olean, Silver Creek, and several in the Buffalo area. Jamestown Public Schools placed all district buildings on a lockout Thursday afternoon as a precaution.

WPIX said the swatting incidents appear to be part of a larger nationwide trend, according to authorities. Threats and false reports of shooters have been pouring into schools and colleges across the country for months, raising concerns among law enforcement and elected leaders.