ALEXANDRIA — The Alexandria Police Department received a “swatting” call this morning, Monday, Feb. 27.

According to a release from the APD, the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) advised local law enforcement of the possibility of “swatting” events.

“Swatting” is defined as 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 term is derived from a form of harassment in which attackers try to trick police forces into sending a heavily armed strike force, often a SWAT team.

The Douglas County Dispatch Center received a call at 9:43 a.m. Monday of an active assailant at Alexandria Area High School. As a precautionary measure, law enforcement and school administration conducted a full sweep of the building. There was no disruption to the school day.

Police Chief Scott Kent said there is no threat at this time, however, local law enforcement is conducting a criminal investigation into the incident.