What we can do in our community:
Domestic terrorism is defined by the United States Department of Defense as "the unlawful use or threatened use of force or violence against individuals or property to coerce or intimidate governments or societies, often to achieve political, religious or ideological objectives."
Law enforcement cannot fight domestic terrorism alone. Police officers cannot be in all places at all times. Law enforcement must have the cooperation of the community in order to be effective. Law enforcement asks all citizens to assist in keeping everyone safe by being the eyes and ears of the community.
Awareness is key. Unfortunately, terrorists do not wear placards that identify themselves and we can only use general rules of thumb as guidance. What does this mean for you and me?
What to look for as possible red flags?
- Unusual interest in public utilities, large groups of people, i.e. sporting events, government buildings, military installations, transportation centers, financial institutions, or religious centers.
- Unusual inquiries regarding security measures.
- Suspicious activity, i.e. note taking, picture taking, or video taping higher risk targets as outlined above.
- Fraudulent identification.
- Unusual behavior, i.e. inappropriate clothing for the current weather conditions, unusually loose clothing, or unusually large or heavy bag or backpack.
- Repetitious unusual behavior, i.e. observation of same person or same vehicle making frequent trips to the same location. Terrorists frequently will make every effort to conduct a "dry run" prior to committing an act of terrorism.
- Unusual rentals, purchases, or inquiries regarding hazardous materials.
What to remember?
- Complete description of person (Age, Sex, Height, Weight, Hair, Scars, Marks, Tattoos)
- Vehicle description and last known direction of travel (Tag #, Year, Make, Model, Body Type, Number of passengers, Unusual descriptors- i.e. bumper stickers or damage)
What to do with this information?
- Call your local police department at 412-624-4141, or in case of an emergency, dial 911.
- Assist law enforcement by informing them of possible suspicious activity and allow the police to handle the situation from there.
- Alert community members, who are aware, of what to look for, what to remember, and what to do with that information. This is one of the best tools we can use to work together to help combat domestic terrorism.