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Conservative Republicans are now dealing with a new threat as there has been a recent rise in "swatting" incidents.
"Swatting" is when an anonymous individual calls to make a false police report, usually on a political opponent. That leads to a heavy presence of police and potentially SWAT teams at the reported location.
The fake reports could be anything from an active shooter, kidnapping or hostage situation. In one reported instance, authorities were notified that an armed burglary was taking place and that family members had locked themselves inside a bathroom. But, it was all fake.
Ever since election season, there have been over a dozen conservatives that have fallen victim to "swatting" attacks. The attacks all appear to be related to the targeted individuals political affiliation. Of the 15 known "swatting" cases in the U.S., three of the individuals are affiliated with The Conservative Caucus.
Retired police Lt. Randy Sutton said not only is swatting dangerous for law enforcement, but also for the individuals who end up having their homes surrounded too.
"They're utilizing law enforcement in order to create a dangerous situation for those that they don't agree with ideologically or politically," said Sutton.
We've already seen Teslas be destroyed out in public or at dealerships and people attack the ones who drive them, all because Elon Musk is working with the Trump administration. Now, far-left progressive liberals who hate the MAGA movement can show how much they hate the opposition by having law enforcement show up at their door via a fake police report.
"Law enforcement is going to surround that house and they're going to be fanning out around the residence to try and ascertain what they can see and discover if this is a legitimate call or not," Sutton said. "Imagine you're the homeowner and you have no idea this is taking place and then you see people out in your backyard."
By the time law enforcement realizes what's really going on, the harm has already been done. 911 calls are traceable so whoever called in the false report can be located, but a lot of times, the suspect isn't identified.
"It's difficult and sometimes impossible to determine who the actor is that created this situation and that's what really makes this so dangerous," Sutton added.
Crimes of making false police reports or reckless endangerment vary by state. Sutton believes swatting incidents in the U.S. are underreported too.
"I do believe that it does happen more often than we do think," he said.
The Subcommittee on Federal Law Enforcement is investigating the recent increase in "swatting" incidents.