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The call came in shortly before 7 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 23, from someone who "stated that he harmed his wife and child and had his neighbor hostage" at the Poplar Street home, Passaic Mayor Hector Carlos Lora said.
Police set up a perimeter and eventually escorted the two women to an ambulance to keep them warm, the mayor said.
Neighbors also had to spend some time outside as members of the Emergency Response Team, patrol officers and detectives checked all of the homes on the block, he said.
Clifton police assisted by detouring traffic.
The emergency ended without incident shortly before 10 p.m.
Swatting incidents peaked nationwide about five or six years ago before subsiding somewhat. They have since flared up again.
Last November, members of a Bergen County Regional SWAT unit joined Bergenfield police and officers from neighborhood towns at an unoccupied home where a caller claimed that he'd "shot everyone in the house."
Swatting exacts a toll on innocent residents, which is usually the intent. Often public figures and celebrities are the targets. Sometimes it's more an effort to tie up law enforcement, authorities said.
Deploying SWAT teams, ERT units and additional personnel to unsuspecting victims’ homes and businesses diverts resources from potential areas of critical need, they say.
Unfortunately, an enormous proportion of swatters -- some of whom aren't even in the country when they call -- are never caught.
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