nastyleg
01-11-2010, 04:48 PM
Program 'eyes' terror threats
1/8/2010 By Lance Cpl. Aaron Diamant , Marine Corps Air Station Yuma
Each member of the air station community is being asked to serve as another set of eyes, watching for suspicious activities that could be signs of pending terrorism and crime.
Marine Corps Installations West and the 1st Marine Expeditionary Force have established a joint terrorism and criminal deterrence program called Eagle Eyes and established a tip line to report suspicious activities.
The program is a regional base and neighborhood watch program designed to ensure that Department of Defense personnel, civilians, contractors and dependants, as well as the general public, are educated on how to identify and report suspicious activity, effectively serving as extra sets of eyes and ears for law enforcement personnel.
Any suspicious activity should be reported to the Eagle Eye tip line, 760-725-EYES, or the station provost marshal's tip line 928-269-INFO. However, any emergency situations should still be reported by dialing 911.
"This is really a broader extension of a neighborhood watch program," said Lt. Col. Robert Skankey, station operations officer. "It's a way for people who see something that doesn't seem right to let the professionals know so that it can be investigated."
The provost marshal's office and the Naval Criminal Investigative Service are responsible for investigating any leads generated from the tip line, said Charles Richardson, station anti-terrorism officer.
"We have maybe 100 law enforcement personnel on station," said Richardson. "With everyone else that lives and work here, we have maybe 10,000. I would much rather have 10,000 people working to protect us than only the 100."
Suspicious activities can be as subtle as someone photographing or observing access points, buildings, equipment and aircraft, to someone soliciting personal or sensitive information by phone, e-mail or in person. Bolder activities include the uncharacteristic collection of weapons, ammunition, explosives and fuel, the testing security by attempting to access restricted or remote areas or rehearsals terrorist or criminal activity.
While the air station does not have any known direct threats, several terrorist plots in the United States have been attempted, uncovered or stopped in the last eight months, said Richardson.
Marines already receive annual anti-terrorism training, said Richardson. The program supports that training and is a way for them to know who to notify with anything out of the ordinary.
"We routinely get reports of suspicious activity, but we want that," said Richardson. "Many workable leads come from the general public and anonymous tips."
http://www.marines.mil/unit/mciwest/Stories/Program%27eyes%27terrorthreats.aspx
1/8/2010 By Lance Cpl. Aaron Diamant , Marine Corps Air Station Yuma
Each member of the air station community is being asked to serve as another set of eyes, watching for suspicious activities that could be signs of pending terrorism and crime.
Marine Corps Installations West and the 1st Marine Expeditionary Force have established a joint terrorism and criminal deterrence program called Eagle Eyes and established a tip line to report suspicious activities.
The program is a regional base and neighborhood watch program designed to ensure that Department of Defense personnel, civilians, contractors and dependants, as well as the general public, are educated on how to identify and report suspicious activity, effectively serving as extra sets of eyes and ears for law enforcement personnel.
Any suspicious activity should be reported to the Eagle Eye tip line, 760-725-EYES, or the station provost marshal's tip line 928-269-INFO. However, any emergency situations should still be reported by dialing 911.
"This is really a broader extension of a neighborhood watch program," said Lt. Col. Robert Skankey, station operations officer. "It's a way for people who see something that doesn't seem right to let the professionals know so that it can be investigated."
The provost marshal's office and the Naval Criminal Investigative Service are responsible for investigating any leads generated from the tip line, said Charles Richardson, station anti-terrorism officer.
"We have maybe 100 law enforcement personnel on station," said Richardson. "With everyone else that lives and work here, we have maybe 10,000. I would much rather have 10,000 people working to protect us than only the 100."
Suspicious activities can be as subtle as someone photographing or observing access points, buildings, equipment and aircraft, to someone soliciting personal or sensitive information by phone, e-mail or in person. Bolder activities include the uncharacteristic collection of weapons, ammunition, explosives and fuel, the testing security by attempting to access restricted or remote areas or rehearsals terrorist or criminal activity.
While the air station does not have any known direct threats, several terrorist plots in the United States have been attempted, uncovered or stopped in the last eight months, said Richardson.
Marines already receive annual anti-terrorism training, said Richardson. The program supports that training and is a way for them to know who to notify with anything out of the ordinary.
"We routinely get reports of suspicious activity, but we want that," said Richardson. "Many workable leads come from the general public and anonymous tips."
http://www.marines.mil/unit/mciwest/Stories/Program%27eyes%27terrorthreats.aspx