Seattle Police Department Creates Database to Cut Down on Swatting

The Seattle Police Department is taking some active measures to combat “swatting,” the practice of calling in fake threats to send law enforcement and emergency responders to an unsuspecting person’s home. It’s created a registry so residents can provide potentially important information to the database which can be accessed by a local 911 center.

“[Swatting] is a deliberate and malicious act that creates an environment of fear and unnecessary risk, and in some cases, has led to loss of life,” according to the Seattle police.

The department’s solution is to have people create profiles via a third-party service called Rave Facility and note their swatting concerns there. That could include information like the fact that they have a high-profile job that might lead to fake 911 calls. Then, a 911 dispatcher can check for that information and share it with responding officers.

Seattle police already has a similar profile service called Smart 911. It lets people create web-based profiles to alert authorities about potential issues, like if a family member is deaf or has a medical condition. But, that data is tied to a phone number and not an address, so Seattle police turned to Rave Facility for help. Designed as a counterpart to Smart 911, it’s specifically used for commercial and residential properties.