The “Preserving Safe Communities by Ending Swatting Act” was introduced on Wednesday by Senators Tommy Tuberville and Rick Scott.
Swatting is the act of phoning 911 in order to set off a massive police reaction at a specific address. The act’s introduction would expressly forbid swatting hoaxes.
Swattering would be strictly prohibited by the law, with up to 20 years in prison if a swatting attack causes serious injury to a person.
One of the victims of a swatting call back in December was Senator Rick Scott. Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost, Georgia U.S. Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene, and Boston Mayor Michelle Wu were among the other officials there.
On December 27, 2023, Scott said that while he and his wife were out to dinner, police arrived to his Naples home. When Scott’s private protection and the cops gathered at his house, nothing seemed out of the ordinary.
Scott posted a brief account of the event on X, the platform that was formerly known as Twitter.
Last night, while at dinner with my wife, cowards “swatted” my home in Naples. These criminals wasted the time & resources of our law enforcement in a sick attempt to terrorize my family.
Ann & I want to thank @NaplesPolice & @CollierSheriff for all they do to keep us safe.
— Rick Scott (@SenRickScott) December 28, 2023
On Wednesday, Scott outlined the reasons why having this legislation is crucial.
“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. 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. I’m incredibly grateful for the work of law enforcement around our nation to keep us safe and put their lives on the line every day,” Scott stated.
“They shouldn’t be put in danger and have their time and resources wasted because of these disgusting hoaxes. Today, I am introducing a bill to make sure the criminals who make these false calls and waste law enforcement resources face serious consequences, including years in prison, if anyone is seriously harmed. We must send a message to the cowards behind these calls—this isn’t a joke, it’s a crime.”
