Several Michigan school districts were targeted by “swatting” calls falsely reporting an active shooter last week.
Swatting is when someone calls emergency services in an attempt to send police, or a SWAT team, to a certain location.
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Michigan State Police said that K-12 schools in Detroit, Jackson, Ann Arbor, and Okemos were targeted in a series of fake threats. Police said the caller had a heavy accent and claimed to be a teacher in the school reporting that a student had shot another student. Police said that there were no known credible threats to schools in the state.
Michigan State Police Office of School Safety is encouraging all school districts to work with local, county and/or state law enforcement to do the following:
- Review Emergency Operations Plans (EOPs) with staff, including the specific roles and responsibilities of members of the crisis response team.
- Make sure appropriate personnel are identified and trained to work with and be a member of Unified Incident Command.
- Identify predetermined locations with local emergency responders to serve as Incident Command posts.
- Conduct exercises using the EOP in either drills or tabletop format to practice, prepare and have an opportunity to identify potential gaps in policies and procedures.
- Conduct emergency drills with students and staff as required by Public Act 12 of 2014.
- Discuss plans with district transportation officials if bussing is necessary to help evacuate students and staff.
- Review the reunification process, including outreach to reunification sites. Be sure reunification sites are of a sufficient size to handle the number of students and parent/guardian vehicles necessary to pick up students.
- Engage in after-action discussions with staff, students, parents/guardians, and emergency responders to identify the effectiveness of the EOP and everyone’s understanding of its implementation.
- Identify school and/or community resources to ensure after-incident mental health services for staff, students, and families are available.
Public Act 436 of 2018 requires schools to review and update EOPs minimally every two years.
Read: Fake shootings reported at schools across Michigan
What charges could you face for making a fake threat?
The FBI said most swatting cases are now handled by local and state law enforcement agencies.
Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel warns that swatting, or making threats, can lead to felony charges and a potential sentence of up to 20 years in prison.
In addition to jail or prison time, someone found guilty could face fines of up to $50,000.00.
Making threats of violence can lead to the following charges:
- Communicating a threat of terrorism, 20-year felony
- Calling in a bomb threat, a four-year felony
- Malicious use of a telecommunications device, a six-month misdemeanor
- Threatening violence against school employee or student, a one-year misdemeanor
Swatting could lead to the following charges:
- False report of a crime, a 93-day misdemeanor
- False report resulting in physical injury, a 5-year felony
- False report resulting in a serious bodily impairment, a 10-year felony
- False report resulting in a death, a 15-year felony.
How to report threats of violence
Contact your local law enforcement if you receive a threat of violence or know of a threat of violence.
Tips can also be sent through Michigan’s OK2SAY hotline, which is open 24/7. The hotline protects the confidentiality of the reporter’s identity.
- Call: 855-565-2729
- Text: 652729
- Online: Click here
OK2SAY can be used to report potential self-harm, harm to others, or crimes directed at students, school employees, or schools in this state.