City Police foil Eastie 'Swatting' scheme

EAST ROCHESTER - Highland Street was shut down for about an hour this morning as Rochester Police responded to what they are now describing as a "Swatting" incident, in which an anonymous caller seeks to draw an emergency SWAT-team response to a fabricated crime.

In this case the caller phoned into Rochester Police that he had taken someone hostage at a Highland Street residence, then called back minutes later to say he had fatally shot them, Rochester Police Capt. Paul Toussaint said today.

"We dispatched units and blocked off the roadway," Toussaint said." We then did an investigation and realized that nothing was adding up from the situation that had been told us."

Toussaint said after a short time, officers approached the residence in question and saw that no one was home.

Toussaint said the calls were apparently from out-of-state and came over an Internet phone line. He said they are working to trace the call, but conceded the process could be difficult.

"Swatting," the attempt to draw a large response from a SWAT team by means of hoax calls, has been around since 2008.

Toussaint said officers were able this time to determine there was no need for a SWAT response. He estimated eight to 10 officers responded, many of whom were finishing their overnight shifts and that no more than a half-hour of overtime per officer might be incurred.

When SWAT teams are fully employed they can cost as much as $10,000 for a single response. A law in the state of California makes it possible for authorities to require pranksters to bear the "full cost" of any response.

Toussaint said if they make an arrest the subject could be charged with creating false public alarm, a misdemeanor.

Highland Street was reopened around 8:15 a.m.