WICHITA — Wichita police will begin using a system that places alerts on addresses where potential swatting targets could be living.
Swatting involves someone making a hoax emergency call to send law enforcement officers, particularly SWAT teams, to a particular address.
The program announced Friday is voluntary and open to people who think they might be a victims of swatting.
The alerts would be available to first responders. Wichita officer Paul Cruz said in a news release the alerts wouldn’t slow emergency responders, but would make them aware they might be responding to a hoax call.
In 2017, Wichita police fatally shot Andrew Finch after a caller falsely claimed a murder and hostage situation was occurring at his home. The call was aimed at someone who lived at the home before Finch.
