EASTMAN, Ga. — Bomb threats and false reports of shootings at the homes of public officials, state capitals and courthouses have surged recently.
In Georgia, many lawmakers were the targets of so-called 'swatting' during the holidays. Now Dodge County Sheriff Brian Robinson says the trend made its way to Eastman this week.
Robinson has about 30 deputies in his department, so he says when they need to respond for something big, they all feel the pressure; but swatting attempts leave many of them feeling frustration, too.
"It does make us angry. It makes us very angry because I don't want to lose one of my officers," Robinson said.
Robinson got a call this week that was downright chilling.
"Stated that he had committed a murder. Took two lives," he recalled. "Possibly had hostages, and any law enforcement officer that showed up, he would use deadly force."
Robinson says when his deputies and other law enforcement agencies got to the scene on Fish Road, they quickly found it was a hoax.
Robinson says even though a call might be a prank, it's important to treat it as if it's real.
"You're having scenarios of where you want to be at, how you're going to place your SRT team, the manpower you're going to have outside covering. There's a lot of different things going on," Robinson said.
Once law enforcement gets into place, he says it's important to take the situation step-by-step.
"You don't want to be so quick that it's going to cause someone to lose their life," Robinson said.
Robinson plans to meet with lawmakers about possible legislation to combat swatting. He's hoping for some extra resources. Some Georgia lawmakers are considering legislation that would stiffen penalties for swatting. Right now, the first offense for making a call to a home is a misdemeanor. Their proposal would make it a felony. The bill has yet to be introduced.
Robinson says they're still investigating who made the call this week.