GROVELAND 一Chief Jeffrey Gillen reports that the Groveland Police Department is actively investigating after a large police response was summoned by a hoax 911 call reporting an act of violence.
On Wednesday, Feb. 1, at about 8:45 p.m., Groveland Police received a 911 call in which the caller told dispatchers that he harmed someone in the home on Marjorie Street, and would harm first responders.
Out of an abundance of caution, and following established policies and procedures, a police, fire, and emergency medical response ensued. This included summoning of mutual aid from all neighboring police departments and Massachusetts State Police.
Neighboring homes were evacuated as a precaution.
Police soon determined that the call was a hoax and that no one was harmed inside the home. Police made a sweep of the area and allowed residents to return home at approximately 10 p.m.
The incident is being investigated by the Groveland Police Department as an act of “swatting,” which according to Oxford Languages is “the action or practice of making a prank call to emergency services in an attempt to bring about the dispatch of a large number of armed police officers to a particular address.”
The phrase entered the dictionary in 2015 and has been recognized as a criminal phenomenon by the FBI since at least 2008.
This incident remains under active investigation by Groveland Police Department.
###