Editorial: Hoaxes like swatting calls at ISU waste police resources, create dangerous scenes
Students at Iowa State University returned to class this week with an unsettling scare. On Monday, the first day of school, reports of an active shooter put campus police on high alert.
Thankfully, it turned out to be a hoax. And it was resolved quickly before most students even knew it happened.
But at the University of Arkansas. a similar call — this time taking longer to disprove — spread fear across campus.
These incidents are part of a disturbing trend known as swatting: false reports of shooters or bombs — designed to create chaos. With new technology that disguises voices and numbers, these hoaxes are becoming far too common. And they are not harmless.
For some students, the trauma is very real — especially those who’ve already lived through actual shootings in their communities. Every false alarm forces them to relive that fear.
Meanwhile, police and security waste precious resources chasing ghosts — resources that could be used to protect us from real dangers.
Worst of all, repeated hoaxes risk dulling our vigilance. Every threat must be treated seriously — but the more swatting occurs, the greater the danger of complacency when the threat is real.
We ask a lot of our law enforcement and campus security.
Staying ready for the worst, while also managing pranks and hoaxes, is a delicate balance. To them, we say thank you — for your vigilance, your training, and your commitment to protecting us from those who would do real harm.
