Between the two of us and our families, we have been swatted 14 separate times. Thankfully, none of these instances has resulted in injury to us, our families, or law enforcement officers who are needlessly put in harm’s way.
Each time we’ve been swatted, our brave law enforcement officers wasted vital resources and manpower tending to a call that was meant to stoke fear, chaos, and violence. This type of deranged behavior cannot be allowed to continue.
For those who are unaware, swatting is the act of anonymously reporting a fake emergency at someone’s home to the police. The intent is to force law enforcement officers to show up at the homes of elected officials, other prominent people, and even everyday citizens to cause chaos. Swatting can have deadly consequences, as in the tragic case of Mark Parkinson in Northwest Georgia in late 2017.
Along with the attacks on elected officials and innocent citizens, these swatting incidents are also an attack on our law enforcement. Our brave officers put their lives on the line every day to keep our families safe. These spineless swatters directly place them in harm’s way by calling in fake emergencies. Additionally, swatting is a blatant abuse of police resources. These swatting incidents divert police resources that are oftentimes already stretched far too thin. Every second spent responding to a fake emergency is wasted time that our law enforcement could spend fighting the skyrocketing waves of crime that we have all witnessed across our nation. We will not stand for these anti-police acts.
It’s no accident that recent swatting incidents have mostly targeted one side of the political spectrum. Swatting has become a tool of the radical Left to attack and potentially cause harm to pro-Trump, America First conservatives who pose a very real threat to those on the Left. They wish us harm because they hate the way we fight for an America First agenda.
Let’s be very clear: swatting is the act of a coward. The radical Left can’t win the fight over ideas in the public square and chooses to hide behind anonymity and incite violence. There are serious consequences to these actions, and we will fight together in Washington and in Georgia to increase penalties for this crime. While swatting is not currently a federal crime, we are fighting together to change that and make sure these criminals are brought to justice.
In Georgia, we are advancing legislation that will strengthen sentences for these criminal offenses. No longer will someone simply receive a slap on the wrist for committing such a heinous and cowardly crime. Increased sentences will help to both deter future criminal activity while enabling law enforcement to properly punish criminals. In Washington, we are working to make it easier for our law enforcement officers to catch these criminals. It is essential that we take this issue seriously, so that we can end this practice.
If these swatting incidents are allowed to continue, it will result in someone being seriously injured or killed, just like the tragedy in Walker County. No one’s family should ever again have to experience a swatting call. Those of us who have experienced a swatting incident are not afraid of those who wish us harm. We are simply emboldened.
We will not be silenced in our mission to deliver conservative, America First wins for our nation and state. No matter how hard they may try, those who wish us harm will not interfere with our capacity and willingness to lead.
Burt Jones has served as Georgia’s lieutenant governor since 2023.
Marjorie Taylor Greene has represented Georgia’s 14th Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives since 2021.
The views and opinions expressed in this commentary are those of the author and do not reflect the official position of the Daily Caller.