A Texas woman said Thursday that she started the six-hour standoff between police and purported hostage-takers in New Brunswick earlier this week by taking part in a chat line practice in which people telephone police to report fake emergencies.In an era of terrorist threats and limited government resources, these games are dangerous and can result in really bad outcomes.
Fatin A. Ward, 23, of Arlington, Texas, said she was only playing a telephone game called “bombing,” or making bogus 911 calls and then seeing how many law enforcement officers respond.
When I had attended college, it was widely known that people pulled fire alarms in the dorms, because that's what idiot kids would do the moment they left their parents' homes and had free rein of the college campus. Well, on one of these false fire alarm runs, the local fire department responded, except that it was cold, raining, and the roads were slick. Next thing we knew, one firefighter was killed when the fire truck got into an accident.
That prank wasn't just a prank, but a criminal act.
If someone gets injured in the course of these telephone games, you could be dealing with a crime - filing false reports for starters. To further discourage this 'game', local governments should throw the book at these kids and their parents, as well as seek restitution for the costs of responding.
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