West Richland Authorities Address Growing Trend of Swatting Calls

A swatting incident in West Richland has police reminding residents that such calls are dangerous and keep valuable resources unavailable when investigating a situation.

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In a posting on Facebook, the West Richland Police Department responded to a swatting incident on Saturday night in the area of Crab Apple Circle.

The call was later determined to be a “swatting” incident, in which false information is intentionally provided to prompt an emergency law enforcement response.

Kennewick Police Department

Following a thorough investigation and securing the area, authorities determined there was no immediate threat to the safety of those involved or the community.

The West Richland Police posting went on to say that swatting has become more common.

If you didn't know what "swatting" is, swatting is when a false call is made, and the police send in SWAT teams to investigate the incident.

SWAT teams later discover the prank and are frustrated as resources are deployed and take up valuable time, and scare residents.

You can read more about the incident here.