FCSO responds to three ‘swatting’ prank calls, prompting sheriff to issue warning

'Swatting calls are not harmless fun. They are illegal, dangerous, and carry serious consequences,' Sheriff Rick Staly said.

By Shannon Martin
| 4:36 p.m. March 29, 2021

Palm Coast Observer
News

The Flagler County Sheriff’s Office received multiple prank "swatting" calls reporting false emergencies on Sunday, March 28, leading the sheriff to issue a warning.

The swatting calls were later determined to have all been made from the same spoofed phone number. Deputies arrived at the scene of these "emergencies" and quickly determined that the reports had been swatting calls and that there was no danger to the public.

Swatting, taking its name from SWAT teams, is the practice of falsely reporting an emergency in order to send law enforcement officers to another person's home.

“Sometimes swatting calls are made to retaliate against someone for whatever reason, and sometimes they are completely random,” Flagler County Sheriff Rick Staly said. “The FCSO is made up of a team of highly trained men and women with years of experience who know the appropriate response for calls of this nature. However, swatting calls are not harmless fun. They are illegal, dangerous, and carry serious consequences that can divert responses to real emergencies.”

Falsely reporting a crime is illegal in the state of Florida. Anyone who makes one of these calls can face charges of filing a false report.

Anyone with information regarding these calls or similar incidents is asked to call the Sheriff’s Office at 386-313-4911 or email [email protected]. For those who wish to remain anonymous, call Crimestoppers at 1-888-277-TIPS (8477).