For nearly two years, police have been tracking down the culprit behind a wave of hoax threats. A digital trail took them to the door of a 17-year-old in California.
There was a story posted a day or so ago about a teen getting arrested for multiple Swatting attacks. This story from Wired explains how the authorities tracked him down and pieced everything together.
I’m not sure that passes the sniff test. SWAT teams aren’t just sitting in a room fully kitted out waiting for the phone to ring. Even if they were, there are likely regular PD closer to wherever the report is than the SWAT team. Why isn’t a car with two guys sent to the scene first to qualify the threat?
The swat team usually consists of sheriff’s deputies in my neck of the woods. They’re exactly the same distance away roughly speaking. Maybe in a city where the swat building is separated from the PD that’s the case. I do know they’ll call out other county sheriff’s deputies from nearby cities if they need a big enough response too. That’s why there were a billion cops (who did nothing) at Uvalde most likely. All types of agencies responding.
Even if its the same people, doesn’t it at least take time to get all kitted up in SWAT gear? They’re not wearing it all the time. If the threat is imminent, as the argument goes, why are they taking time to get all the gear on and groups of people in place before going to the threat?
At the North Hollywood Bank Shootout (or North Hollywood Bank Robbery) SWAT showed up with tactical gear and short shorts because two guys with AKs and bullet proof armor opened fire at a Bank of America. SWAT dropped what they were doing (I think they were exercising?), grabbed their tactical gear and guns and showed up for a fight.
Its not the same as somebody alleging that there is a terrorist bombing threat or a planned assassination, but they have to maintain that readiness just in case that it IS real.
I have no problem with readiness, but I’m talking about the FIRST cops that should be on the scene. I’m betting that North Hollywood incident didn’t have the shorts wearing SWAT officers as the first ones arriving, right? I have no problem with a large tactical response…when its qualified that that is what the situation requires. So many times we’re see the SWAT team kick in the door as the very first step of assessing a situation. That’s the problem I’m calling out.