Connecticut school swatting calls disrupt classes, strain police resources
A series of swatting calls targeting schools across Connecticut is creating anxiety for families and forcing police departments to devote significant resources to emergency responses.
The threats include two swatting calls reported at Hamden schools last week. Police said the threats were not real, but officers were deployed, and school officials were forced to respond as if they were facing a genuine emergency.
Swatting calls are false emergency reports designed to trigger a large law enforcement response.
Hamden town leaders said the community has been hit with several such calls over the past week, disrupting schools and forcing families to adjust their schedules.
One of the calls led to an early dismissal for Mariyyah Tillman’s 6-year-old daughter, disrupting her workday.
“It’s very scary because I was surprised. This town is very quiet. Everybody minding their business,” she said.
Tillman said the incident was frustrating for families.
“It is annoying and stressful a little bit,” she said.
Residents said the calls create unnecessary fear for parents and students.
“That’s not something you do because you’re not just scaring…it’s not a game. If it’s a game for you, it’s not a game for a parent,” Linda White of Hamden said.
The impact also extends to law enforcement agencies.
The Hamden threats are two of at least 11 swatting calls targeting schools in nine Connecticut communities over the past week. Former Fairfield Police Chief Gary MacNamara said every threat must be treated as credible until investigators determine otherwise.
“When those resources are chasing phantom swatting calls, they’re not out there deployed into other areas where the community may need,” he said.
MacNamara said the response continues long after officers arrive at a school, recalling swatting calls he responded to as police chief.
“The unwinding of that process took hours from lockdown to dismissal, to reunification with parents, to quite some time,” he said.
In Hamden, town leaders said the calls came through an anonymous out-of-state system. Police are working to identify the person responsible.
Authorities said anyone caught making a swatting call could face prison time and fines of up to $5,000.
Parents said the consequences of these false reports go beyond legal penalties, affecting families’ daily lives and creating stress throughout the community.
“Losing time at work. Racing up and down the street to get to wherever my child is and you’re playing a whole game?” White said.
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