Bill To Address SWAT Pranks Rejected
DENVER (AP) — A proposal to make it easier to catch kids who call in false bomb threats and prank others with phony threats has been rejected by Colorado lawmakers.
The bill would have modified Colorado's anonymous threat hotline, called Safe2Tell. The hotline was enacted after the Columbine High School shootings to give students an anonymous way to report school threats.
Officials say the hotline has saved lives. But the anonymity has made Safe2Tell a bullying tool for some.
Authorities have no way of tracking Safe2Tell calls that falsely direct police to a student's house, a prank called "swatting."
The bill would have allowed police to trace false reports. But the state Senate rejected the bill Friday, with opponents saying the hotline depends on absolute anonymity.
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