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NJ Lawmakers Look To Get Tough On 'Swatting'

TRENTON, N.J. (CBSNewYork) -- New Jersey lawmakers are looking to crack down on the trend called "swatting," in which a fake threat is reported to provoke a massive police response.

Under one bill, anyone busted for making a hoax call to 911 would be liable for the cost incurred by police and first responders, said Assemblywoman Annette Quijano, D-Union, who heads the Homeland Security Committee. Jail time and additional fines would also be a possibility.

There have been several hoax reports in northern New Jersey in recent weeks, WCBS 880's Levon Putney reported.

NJ Lawmakers Look To Get Tough On 'Swatting'

On Friday, police responded to a report of a hostage in Upper Freehold Township and discovered it was a hoax. There was also a similar incident in Cliffside Park on Saturday.

On March 31, a false report of an armed intruder led police to lockdown a school in Holmdel. And on March 28, police responded to a report of a hostage situation at a video game store in Clifton that turned out to be a hoax.

Quijano said authorities believe kids are mostly to blame, and she wants parents to talk to their children about the problem. In many cases, "swatting" has been linked to online gaming.

"First of all, if it's gamers, they need to be aware there's no reset button in real life," Quijano said.

Quijano said she'll try to schedule a committee hearing soon to tackle the issue.

"The taxpayers should not be on the hook to have to pay," the assemblywoman said.

After officers responded to a hoax call on Long Island last year, officials estimated the effort cost about $100,000.

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