Seattle police roll out a 'registry' that allows 'swatting' targets to better protect themselves
Seattle's new initative could save lives
By Cohen Coberly,
Although choosing to livestream video games for a living doesn't
necessarily carry the same risks as being a police officer or
firefighter, that doesn't mean it can't be dangerous.
As we've seen time and time again, the internet can be a ruthless place
at times; that was made evident in December when 25-year-old Tyler
Bariss allegedly "swatted" a fellow Call of Duty player. Bariss
reportedly called the police and claimed said player had killed his
father and was about to kill the rest of his family.
Unfortunately, the address -- which was in Wichita, Kansas -- given to
Tyler was not his opponent's, but an innocent civilian's. When the SWAT
team arrived at the individual's home, one team member shot and killed
28-year-old Andy Finch, who was merely opening the door after allegedly
hearing noises outside.
Though Bariss has since been arrested and charged with manslaughter,
police in Seattle are looking for a more future-proof solution.
In a blog post published recently, the city's Chief of Police, Carmen
Best, announced that her department has launched a "registry" that
allows prominent gamers to list themselves as potential swatting
targets.
In theory, this would allow officers responding to a hoax call to tailor
their response appropriately. Instead of going in under the assumption
that a streamer is actually a domestic terrorist, they might be a bit
more skeptical and practice restraint.
This is certainly great news for Seattle-based streamers, gamers, and
other internet personalities, but only time will tell how well the new
registry will work in practice.
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