by: Lourdes Duarte, Andrew Schroedter
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In recent years, the number of “swatting” calls to police has spiked statewide.
The fake calls for emergencies trigger a fast-moving response from law enforcement, putting lives at risk and costing taxpayers’ money.
Despite that, holding people accountable has proven challenging.
Take Glendale Heights for example. The suburb’s police chief shared an example of what turned out to be a swatting call his department received last year.
The caller claimed he had broken into a house.
“I killed one person and I’ve tied up two more,” he told police.
Numerous officers rushed to the home, setting up a perimeter as the caller made more threats.
“I’m going to kill all you cops,” he said. “I’m going to kill everyone.”
But inside the house, officers discovered a person who had no idea what was happening. It was a hoax.
“In this situation that phone number was used in multiple calls in Massachusetts and throughout the rest of the country,” said Glendale Heights Police Chief George Pappas.
The caller was never apprehended.
WGN Investigates obtained data from the Illinois State Police showing just how much the “swatting” trend has grown
In 2021, there were 19 reported cases statewide. By 2024, that number had jumped to 221.
“We don’t exactly know why there is an increase,” said Ryan Maxwell, Assistant Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Chicago office. “Some people say there’s a form of retaliation or a form of harassment.”
Making matters worse, with the rise in technology and artificial intelligence, it’s becoming easier for the callers to mask their identity and elude police.
“These individuals are able to hide the number they are calling from,” Maxwell said. “They can make it appear that the number that called you is your own. It can be challenging.”
Federal lawmakers introduced legislation to increase penalties in some swatting cases and pave the way for police departments to recover funds spent on responding to a hoax. But it’s not yet been called for a vote.