Crime & Safety

Rye PD Investigating Home Invasion Hoax

Rye Police Department is at the helm of the investigation into false home invasion reports.

An investigation into the circumstances surrounding two false emergency calls describing a home invasion at a Rye home on Wednesday is ongoing at this time.

At approximately 2:50 p.m. that afternoon, two text calls were received and relayed by Rye Brook police to Rye Police department that seemed to describe a home invasion underway at 105 North Street in Rye City.

When Rye Police arrived, with the support of several surrounding jurisdictions including Harrison, they made "a tactical entry" into the residence" according to Rye Police Commissioner William Connors. Police determined there had been no incident at the home and that the three occupants were not involved with the police calls.

Find out what's happening in Harrisonwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

So-called "swatting" incidents are on the rise. Kevin F. Kolbye, an investigator with the Federal Bureau of Investigations, was interviewed in an article about the trend and reported as many as 400 false incidents are logged annually around the country, including a recent incident in Sandy Hook, NJ which drew Coast Guard responders to search for an allegedly capsized yacht before the hoax was revealed.

In these cases, callers spoof- deliberately conceal the true source of their call- emergency response systems and report false emergency incidents. Law enforcement dispatches emergency response teams only to find the scenario has been an expensive ruse.

Find out what's happening in Harrisonwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Connors said Wednesday an investigation would be conducted to determine the source of the erroneous calls. On Thursday evening, Connors said the investigation had not yet revealed the culprits behind the false calls.

The calls which were ostensibly made by someone using TTY- a text telephone- were relayed through a phone operator according to Rye Brook police.

Rye Brook Police Lieutenant Eugene Matthews said all the evidence necessary to continue the investigation had been turned over to Rye Police department.

"There is nothing new to report at this time," said Connors. Rye Police has already met with Rye Brook police department to share information. "That department is assisting with examining their systems to locate information; and the Westchester County Police Department Major Case Squad is providing technical assistance."

Connors said anyone with additional information should contact Rye Police Detective Division at (914) 967-1234, or they can email police@ryepd.ryeny.gov.


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