(Des Moines) A bill increasing penalties for swatting calls is going through the Iowa Legislature. The bill would make the penalties for reporting false information to law enforcement and first responders more severe. The House Panel Safety Committee passed the bill Wednesday, opening it up for debate on the House floor.
There were at least 30 fake reports of threats to Iowa schools in March of last year alone. The Creston School District was one of the targets. On March 21, 10:30 a.m., a fake active shooter threat came in, reporting a shooting at the Creston High School.
After consulting with the Iowa Department of Public Safety, it was determined that this incident was part of a statewide “Swatting” call to 30 police departments across Iowa.
