Swatting bill passes Georgia House aiming to stiffen penalties
ATLANTA - Swatting may soon be a felony in Georgia after a bill targeting the dangerous prank passed the House on Monday.
The House voted 162-2 for Senate Bill 421, which would make swatting a felony in Georgia.
"This bill criminalizes swatting. It will keep not only members of the public safe, it will keep members of our law enforcement safe," said state Rep. Matt Reeves, R-Duluth.
The House voted 162-2 for Senate Bill 421, which would stiffen penalties for swatting and make drive-by shootings a separate crime. (FOX 5)
"It's very important public safety legislation. It's something that has affected legislators on both sides of the aisle," said state Sen. Clinton Dixon, R-Gwinnett County.
The bill hits close to home for Sen. Dixon and several other lawmakers who were victims in a series of swatting calls in December.
Sen. Clinton Dixon, R-Gwinnett County (FOX 5)
"It was actually on Christmas Day, which was actually very traumatic for me and my family, especially my wife, who saw the police officers coming up the steps in full swat gear, so it was very traumatic for them and could be a very dangerous situation," said Sen. Dixon.
The bill, which was amended in the House to add a provision defining a drive-by shooting as a separate crime, will be sent back to the Senate for consideration.
What is the penalty for swatting under a new Georgia bill?
It’s already a crime in Georgia to make such false reports, but the first offense right now is a misdemeanor unless they are directed at critical infrastructure.
Rep. Matt Reeves, R-Duluth (FOX 5)
The bill would also make a first offense a felony if it were aimed at a dwelling or a place of worship. The measure also increases the felony penalty for second offenses, making the minimum prison sentence five years, instead of one year. It also adds stronger penalties for a third offense, requiring a sentence of 10 to 15 years.
"It has penalties against swatting of residences as well as houses of worship. People should not be disrupting the people's business, as well as religious assemblies or disrupting people in their homes," said Rep. Reeves.
The measure also requires that someone convicted make up for any monetary losses by property owners or expenditures by a responding agency, including restitution for property damages or the cost of treating injuries.
The Georgia law would also define a drive-by shooting as a separate crime. Supporters say it’s needed because some shooters have escaped criminal penalties because current law is not precisely defined. The new crime would require a sentence of five to 20 years for shooting into an occupied dwelling or motor vehicle. It would also make it a crime that qualifies as a racketeering offense under Georgia’s anti-racketeering law.
"We worked with prosecutors, we worked with criminal defense lawyers, we worked with public safety advocates and Georgia now has a stronger drive-by shooting law," said Rep. Reeves.
What is a swatting call?
Swatting is a type of prank where someone falsely reports a serious emergency, such as a bomb threat, murder, or hostage situation, and directs law enforcement or emergency services, particularly a SWAT team, towards a particular address. This is done to distress or harm the individual at the given address, who is unaware of the false report.
It is extremely dangerous and potentially leads to property damage, injury, or even death, as well as wasted police resources.
Another high-ranking Georgia official target of swatting
Another series of threats on Wednesday targeting Georgia’s lawmakers. A top official with the Secretary of State’s office was swatted after police evacuated the state Capitol Wednesday morning due to a bomb threat. There are growing concerns about threats of political violence in the New Year.
Sen. Dixon says his home was the target of a swatting call this past Christmas. He and his wife had just said goodbye to their in-laws when he heard his wife panicking in the other room that evening. Police officers were approaching his home with rifles in hand.
Police say someone had called 911 claiming there was a person shot and a hostage situation at his home.
The next day, a bomb threat was called in to his home as his 76-year-old mother was there watching his dog.
U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Georgia, reported she was swatted on Christmas morning.
The next day, Georgia Lt. Gov. Burt Jones reported a bomb threat and a swatting call the following day.
Sources say Senators John Albers (R-Alpharetta), Kim Jackson (D-Pine Lake), and Kay Kirkpatrick (R-Marietta) were also targeted on the holiday.
The Associated Press contributed to this report