June 29, 2023, 9:50 PM
As swatting incidents around the country increase, the FBI has created a national database to track them, according to new information from the law enforcement agency.
“In response to the national call on swatting, the FBI initiated the Virtual Command Center (VCC) known as the National Common Operation Picture (NCOP),” the FBI said in a statement to ABC News.
Swatting, as it is commonly called is when a prank call is placed, usually saying there is some sort of active shooter or immediate dangerous situation, with the hopes to illicit a large police response which often includes the arrival of a SWAT team.
Celebrities like Justin Bieber, Rihanna and Tom Cruise have all been victims of swatting.
The new database is a “collaborative effort between the FBI and law enforcement partners to track and create a real-time picture of swatting incidents,” the FBI says.
Since its inception in May 2023, the database has already tracked 129 swatting incidents around the country.