Waterloo region sees ‘uptick’ in swatting calls in early months of 2026, police say | CBC News
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Police say there have been five swatting calls in Waterloo region this February and March, which is an “uptick” compared to 2025.
Swatting is when a false report to police is made to elicit a large police response at a targeted location.
According to Waterloo Regional Police Service (WRPS) Const. Melissa Quarrie, these false reports are “high-priority, serious calls involving weapons.”
The Morning Edition – K-W10:21Waterloo regional police on swatting and snipers at large gatherings
Since February, Waterloo Regional Police have responded to five reports of fake emergency calls involving a shooting in the region. The incidents are known as “swatting.” Police spokesperon Melissa Quarrie talks about the impacts these fake calls have on police resources and the community. Melissa also answers some of your questions about a police sniper seen during St. Patrick’s Day celebrations in Waterloo over the weekend.
On Tuesday evening, police responded to a call about a shooting at residence in Cambridge in the area of Eagle Street North and Concession Road. After an investigation which saw officers clear the home, police determined it was a false report and classified it as public mischief.
On March 9, a swatting incident took place at Grand River Collegiate Institute, where police responded to a report of a person inside the school with a gun.
WRPS responded to the call and remained on scene for several hours, placing the school and three nearby schools on lockdown while they cleared the building. After investigating, police determined it was a false report.
“There are certain indications when calls may be swatting,” Quarrie said. “But until we’re able to confirm those details, we do have to treat those reports as legitimate and respond appropriately.”
Some of the indications Quarrie mentioned are the phrasing callers use and a lack of knowledge about the location they say they’re calling from.
Quarrie said responding to these calls has a “tremendous impact” on the region’s emergency services and false reports “pull attention away” from valid calls.
There’s no easy way to discern the cause behind the swatting calls, she said.
“Whether it be social media trends or things that are happening in the greater community, it’s hard to really pinpoint why we see those ebbs and flows of these types of calls,” Quarrie explained.
There has yet to be anyone charged for the recent incidents, but Quarrie wanted to clarify that making a false report is a crime.
“You could be looking at [charges of] uttering threats, uttering threats to cause death or bodily harm, public mischief, mischief. Those are some of the charges that we have laid in the past.”