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Brookline temple swatted
By adamg on Sat, 08/19/2023 - 8:01am
Brookline Police report that Temple Beth Zion received a bomb threat Friday evening - the latest in a string of such hoax bomb calls to Jewish congregations across the country.
At this time, all indications suggest that this was a hoax call.
Police reported at 9:05 p.m.:
All Clear at Temple Beth Zion, 1566 Beacon Street. Building has been checked, and Temple staff updated. Units are clear of scene.
Earlier in the week, the Forward reported that at least 26 temples had been swatted over the past month. The hoax calls to synagogues are typically made during Friday-evening services, the ADL says, adding that two ADL offices have also been targeted.
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Comments
This is terrible.
People just trying to peacefully worship and having that peaceful place interrupted. Plus never mind the fear it induces.
Terminology
"Swatting" is calling in claiming that there's an active shooter on site and/or that you're the shooter in order to get SWAT to show up and potentially even assault the victim thinking they're the criminal. A bomb threat is "I planted a bomb" and then making the cops evacuate/disrupt the place and search it for a bomb.
This was a bomb threat, not a swatting.
terminology
I've been seeing the language "bomb threats and swatting" for the recent round of attacks on synagogues, because there are some of each (mostly coordinated from 4chan.) In most circumstances, swatting is a worse kind of terrorism than a bomb threat because of the risk that cops will shoot first and ask questions later. At a synagogue with a security guard out front? In the middle of services they are live-streaming? Cops are very likely to pause and ask the security guard what is going on. In those circumstances, a bomb threat can be a more intense and disruptive kind of terrorism.
I'm glad nobody was hurt. TBZ was prepared, and had procedures in place to respond to bomb threats with calm efficiency, just as they have procedures in case of fire or medical emergencies (or places out west have earthquake responses.) But the fire escape procedures don't make my heart ache.
I agree somewhat.
I agree somewhat.
I think of "swatting" as either "get the police over to someone and see if somebody gets fearful or panics, and escalates to violence" or "diverting the bulk of emergency response in an area so a crime can be committed somewhere else" (though there's probably a different word for that second one).
It might not be 'only' a hoax bomb threat, though. Not when there have been a couple dozen. It could be to desensitize the community or police to such potential emergencies, or set them against each other with stress, resentment, frustration, etc... Especially if the lowlife perpetrators think they can drive that wedge - that really does stay close to that first definition of swatting, only slower-acting.
Note:
At no point did I use the word "only" nor minimize the incident.
I didn't say you did.
I didn't say you did.
I was being clear that I wasn't minimizing.
Apparently the SWAT team showed up
.
I sincerely hope they find the culprit(s)
I find it hard to believe police and domestic intelligence agencies would not be able to catch them.
Wrong word!
You should learn the meaning of "swatted" before (mis)using it in a headline. This wasn't a swatting, it was a hoax bomb threat. They're both bad, but swatting is worse.
Nada in the Globe or Herald
Apparently a bomb threat requiring evacuation of a synagogue in the middle of services isn't as big news as the latest about the Patriots.
Seems terminology has changed
The rabbi wrote that in this case the swat team came: "Swatting is the term being used for hoax bomb threats, that means a swat team comes. And we had a swat team coming."
The rabbi is wrong
Swatting isn't the term being used for hoax bomb threats. Hoax bomb threat is obviously that term. It's a misappropriation of the term, not a change in the terminology.
Where the rabbi's statement is wrong is that it's not just "getting the swat team to come" that makes it a swatting. The intent of a swatting is to imperil the life of the person living at the location by convincing the SWAT team that the person at that location is an active risk to others. The call is often made purported to be from that location...but is using IP calling to avoid location details on the phone system. You "swat" *someone* not some place. The congregants were not in imminent danger from the SWAT team...they were coming to help clear the building and search for a reported bomb.
Jesus, help us with our language
Which is more important? Whether the rabbi of the synagogue used the correct term or that this is effectively an act of terrorism?For the sake of definitions here is the Federal legal definition of domestic terrorism (18 USC Ch. 113B: Terrorism).
(5) the term "domestic terrorism" means activities that—
(A) involve acts dangerous to human life that are a violation of the criminal laws of the United States or of any State;
(B) appear to be intended—
(i) to intimidate or coerce a civilian population;
While this was a threat and not the actual action it is tantamount to domestic terrorism. Are the US governments (at all levels) capable of dealing with the growth of domestic terrorism? For various reason (including reducing the ability of the judicial systems to try cases at state and Federal levels by constant annual budget reductions) I wonder whether as nation we are at this time equipped to deal with the growth of this cancer on the body politic?
Only one seems to be contested
so that's what people are talking about.
Plenty of bytes here
Additionally, there's plenty of room here to discuss the fact that synagogues are being targeted by false calls to police that isn't precluded by the fact that some of us took exception to the misuse of the term "swatted". If that's what you want to talk about, then talk about it. There's no shortage of bytes available for new comments.
This will not end...
...until we lock up the Nazis.