Mich. Bill Would Raise Penalty For SWATing Calls

Just weeks after an unknown person telephoned a SWATing call to the Sarasota (Fla.) Sheriff’s Office, a Michigan legislator has introduced a bill that would  make it a felony to intentionally make a false report of an emergency, and increase the prison time if an injury or death occurs. The bill would also add the crime to the list of offenses where a judge can order restitution to public safety agencies that handled the incident. Previously, state law prohibited false reports of crimes. Rep. Curt Heise told reporters that besides tying up valuable law enforcement, fire and EMS resources, SWATing calls put innocent people in jeopardy. Download (pdf) a copy of the proposed bill here, and read more about SWATing here.