Is swatting even close to be a problem in other countries? It really seems like something that could be solved with protocol changes. If the chance of getting the victim killed or inconvenienced lessens, the incentive to swat would go away.
Here we have an armed offenders squad.
A mostly bizarre experience - not particularly horrible - but neither did I fully understand the risk at the time.
I haven't had any hideous dealings with the police here in Christchurch - it's a small world so perhaps they are a bit more human? I certainly have lots of friends with bad stories - but often pretty damn biased stories!
You know, innocent victims and all that.
France even has a national police force, the Gendarmerie, that is literally a branch of the military. The Gendarmerie’s most famous tactical unit is the GIGN, who have responded to high profile incidents including the 2015 terrorist attacks in and around Paris.
Sounds stupid in that case, but I believe they did the maths properly when balancing the chance of armed illiterate young men in public killing innocents versus saving the day.
It's absolutely not a U.S. only phenomenon.