As I sit down to watch a Netflix episode of Black Mirror, it is concerning these once distant dismal portrayals of technology are coming to life with current trends at educational institutions.

In 2023, The Washington Post examined police reports, emergency call recordings, body-camera footage and call logs in connection with swatting incidents in 24 states, and found that over the past year, more than 500 schools in the United States were subjected to swatting calls.

Boulder Valley School District unfortunately added to this data with two swatting calls in February 2023 at our largest high school serving approximately 2,000 students and staff combined. In debriefs with our law enforcement partners and the Colorado Information Analysis Center (CIAC), we found the swatting call used AI voice technology, enhanced with AI-generated gunshots in the background.

As school districts across the country continue to examine the use of AI technology for educational purposes and plagiarism concerns, we in Emergency Management also have to reflect on how this technology will be leveraged to enhance the severity of swatting calls and fictitious emergencies.

How will school districts and their first responding partners address deep fake videos made with AI technology portraying an active shooter inside a school? What if AI technology generates the shooter as a current student in the school?

Unfortunately, it’s likely this problem is going to get worse before it gets better. Just in the past year, in response to a false call of a school shooting, a police officer rammed his patrol car through the school’s locked doors. In another instance, an officer in Massachusetts accidentally discharged his service weapon while responding to a faked call of a school shooting.

With 97% of students using their phones during school hours, first responders and Emergency Managers also have to account for the numerous texts, calls, and social media posts of these swatting incidents and the emotional and mental impacts this will have on their communities.

Relationship building between school districts and first responders is critical to provide situational awareness during these incidents. How can current technology in schools, such as cameras, be harnessed to mitigate swatting calls? Additionally, how can AI be used to turn the tables on swatters?

Recently, the FBI completed a year-long investigation that led to the arrest of a California teenager who is allegedly a prolific swatter. Going by the handle “Torswat”, the teen is believed to have initiated hundreds of swatting calls, possibly using the cloud-based messaging app, Telegram, to advertise his services for as little as $75. The teen, who faces four charges, including making false reports concerning the planting of a bomb or the use of firearms causing a law enforcement response, is being extradited to Florida.

The arrest is great news for law enforcement but keep in mind, it took at least a year to make an arrest.   

It is clear the use of AI technology is a multifaceted issue with far-reaching implications and conversations are just beginning to be explored on how this will impact law enforcement response to these critical incidents.

"It's not the technology that's the problem; it's how it's used. Like all technology, it's a tool. In the right hands, it can be beautiful.”  (Black Mirror, Metalhead, Season 4, Episode 5).

About the author

FPI Fellow Carissa Jaquish is the Emergency Manager, Boulder Valley School District and a Threat Liaison Officer for the Colorado Information Analysis Center. Read her full bio here.