In my opinion, swatting is a subset of a broader phenomenon in America that doesn't really have a name, but I'll just coin a clunky term for it: "Proxycopping".
Proxy copping is the cynical use of the police or the courts for personal advantage, or to punish your enemies.
It would include the following: "Karen"-style police reports used by white folks to marginalize black folks; false reports of DV or false restraining orders used to obtain an advantage in divorce proceedings; complaints against neighbors for trivial conduct like playing music in the evening so as to harass the neighbor; and many many more.
The police and the courts are routinely used by people to get an advantage over their foes. And we live in such a fearful, reactionary time that all claims of crime are taken as if they are true by public officials.
Every incentive exists to punish your foes with the police. It's hard to find any disincentive.
Would you be open to talking to me about this some more? I think "Proxy Copping" hits exactly the notes that "Suicide by Cop" or all those other notes miss. You also mentioned a bunch of secondary/non-lethal "use a cop as a weapon" things that I completely missed. I think there's another Dispatch here, and I'd love to feature you as a guest editor. How's your next month or two looking?
This is *exactly* the kind of thing I would love to collaborate with you on.
I'm working on something huge that will take up the next month, but in about a month or so I'll be free. I'd love to talk to you about it, because it's an extremely important but underdiscussed issue.
Great article!
In my opinion, swatting is a subset of a broader phenomenon in America that doesn't really have a name, but I'll just coin a clunky term for it: "Proxycopping".
Proxy copping is the cynical use of the police or the courts for personal advantage, or to punish your enemies.
It would include the following: "Karen"-style police reports used by white folks to marginalize black folks; false reports of DV or false restraining orders used to obtain an advantage in divorce proceedings; complaints against neighbors for trivial conduct like playing music in the evening so as to harass the neighbor; and many many more.
The police and the courts are routinely used by people to get an advantage over their foes. And we live in such a fearful, reactionary time that all claims of crime are taken as if they are true by public officials.
Every incentive exists to punish your foes with the police. It's hard to find any disincentive.
Would you be open to talking to me about this some more? I think "Proxy Copping" hits exactly the notes that "Suicide by Cop" or all those other notes miss. You also mentioned a bunch of secondary/non-lethal "use a cop as a weapon" things that I completely missed. I think there's another Dispatch here, and I'd love to feature you as a guest editor. How's your next month or two looking?
This is *exactly* the kind of thing I would love to collaborate with you on.
I'm working on something huge that will take up the next month, but in about a month or so I'll be free. I'd love to talk to you about it, because it's an extremely important but underdiscussed issue.