Florida cracks down on dangerous ‘swatting’ hoaxes with tougher penalties

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WCTV/Gray Florida Capital Bureau) - A surge in fake 911 calls is putting lives at risk and draining emergency resources across the country.

Now, Florida is taking action with a new law aimed at punishing those behind these dangerous hoaxes known as swatting.

Swatting is when someone makes a false emergency call to prompt a large police response to a location where no threat exists. These fake calls often target schools, homes, or public spaces, catching innocent people off guard and sending law enforcement rushing in under high-stress conditions.

In 2023, Volusia County deputies rushed to a home after a 911 call about a drowning toddler. But there was no emergency, just a hoax.

“You keep in the back of your head that little reserve voice that says, ‘get there as quickly and safely as possible,’ but this could be a swatting,” said Volusia County Sheriff Michael Chitwood.

The consequences of these false calls are real. Two deputies were hurt in a crash while responding to that very incident.

Across Florida, swatting has become especially common at schools. Data from TDR Technology Solutions shows that more than 1,500 school swatting incidents occurred in the 2023-2024 school year, surpassing any other state.

“Just last September, I had 400 and some-odd school threats come in within the first two weeks,” Chitwood said.

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Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd said his office can now identify patterns in these hoax calls, helping to distinguish them from genuine emergencies.

“There’s a 99.9% chance that it is a swatting call and not a real emergency,” Judd said.

To combat the problem, Florida lawmakers passed a new law increasing penalties for swatting.

Anyone convicted of making a false emergency report that leads to injury or death could face up to 15 years in prison. Repeat offenders face even stiffer punishment.

“It creates a really, really serious risk for public safety,” said Gov. Ron DeSantis. “You don’t know it’s the police showing up. You could react and get hurt—or hurt someone else.”

Sheriff Chitwood hopes the new law will be a powerful deterrent.

“They think it’s a joke. It’s not a joke,” he said. “We’re coming after you.”

The law also requires offenders to pay restitution to law enforcement agencies and victims.