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submitted 9 months ago by ZeroCool@slrpnk.net to c/news@lemmy.world
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[-] Da_Boom@iusearchlinux.fyi 13 points 9 months ago

I mean the main reason they do that is they have to take it seriously. If they decided to ignore anonymous tips, then how many actual situations would they fail to prevent and handle.

Swatting is just taking advantage of the fact that they have no choice but to take it seriously.

That being said, if it's a place that gets swatted regularly or a place that's likely to be swatted due to various reasons they should have precautions in place with people they can trust in order to double check before acting, or at least be prepared to go in with their guns still holstered.

[-] grue@lemmy.world 34 points 9 months ago* (last edited 9 months ago)

The problem isn't that the police respond, it's how they respond. The fact that the police themselves are so dangerous to the presumptive victim on whose behalf they're responding -- as tacitly acknowledged by "swatting" being treated as a serious crime going beyond mere misuse of police resources -- is the much bigger problem here. Frankly, going after swatters is at least 50% a misdirection tactic: an attempt to shift the blame away from the reckless police.

[-] JackiesFridge@lemmy.world 18 points 9 months ago

Patrick Tomlinson was swatted over 40 times in 2023 alone. It took WAY too many times before the police would simply knock on his door and ask him if everything was okay. You'd think after the 4th or 5th time they might figure it out.

https://www.wisn.com/article/milwaukee-science-fiction-writer-victim-of-swatting/40912738

https://www.insideedition.com/milwaukee-sci-fi-author-patrick-tomlinson-victim-of-yearslong-swatting-campaign-of-terror-82365

[-] LarmyOfLone@lemm.ee 4 points 9 months ago

You'd think Patrick would have set up a big sign like "Hello, if you're swat, chill! It's just a prank bro! Just come in and have a beer." But no, so the guy basically resisted /s

[-] JackiesFridge@lemmy.world 7 points 9 months ago

The frustrating thing was that the police had him on a list. They KNEW the history. But half the time they still rolled up ready for war. It was a banner day when he was woken up at 3 in the morning only by two normal officers knocking on the door to let him know it happened again.

[-] Olhonestjim@lemmy.world 17 points 9 months ago* (last edited 9 months ago)

They don't need to send SWAT teams. They just do it for kicks.

[-] echodot@feddit.uk 1 points 9 months ago

Oh shut up with these intellectually dishonest arguments. You know there's a problem you know the police are overly aggressive to civilians but hey that's fine I guess and swat to every situation, come on.

This is about American police being way over militaryized. Swatting is not a problem in many other nations so it's a solvable issue but if we're just going to say it's acceptable then nothing will ever change.

[-] Olhonestjim@lemmy.world 2 points 9 months ago* (last edited 9 months ago)

You 100% misunderstood me or you meant to reply to someone else.

[-] dan1101@lemm.ee 8 points 9 months ago* (last edited 9 months ago)

Until they figure out what is happening, if anything at all, the SWAT teams certainly stand the chance to do more harm than good. How about some recon first? Deaths are happening, and if nothing else innocent and completely bewildered people wind up with police guns pointed at their heads. Most of the time it's cleared up but the victims are left with "Oh sorry folks, someone called and said there was a hostage here."

[-] afraid_of_zombies@lemmy.world 2 points 9 months ago

I don't know what they could do with a mosque. I think it is a very valid assumption that someone could be in there with a gun and a very valid assumption it could be an asshole "pranking".

Be nice to see some harsh criminal penalties for people who SWAT and maybe some more advanced tech like cameras in the building they can plug into and see.

this post was submitted on 01 Feb 2024
289 points (96.2% liked)

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