Summary of Talk on "How to Recognize and Report Suspicious Activity”

On March 5, 2009, Commander Russ Hamill of the Montgomery Country Police Department spoke about “How to Recognize and Report Suspicious Activity.”

The two most important things to know are:

• Law enforcement continues to need a strong partnership between the public and police to keep ourselves and our country safe from crime and terrorist acts.

• If you see a person acting suspiciously; a suspicious vehicle, parcel, or other item; or a suspicious activity or situation, call 911...and/or the other phone numbers for the DC metro area, which were provided on one of the handouts mentioned below.

The following points cover the content of Commander Hamill’s talk.

1. The threat is real. It is a mistake to be complacent. Al Qaeda is still looking for ways to inflict the maximum damage and the heaviest body count.

2. The public does not hear about all the plots that are interrupted or foiled, although some are publicized. For example, in January 2006, a Circuit City employee at Ft. Dix alerted Mount Laurel police about a Jihadist training video he was asked to develop. The Police then contacted the FBI, which launched the investigation. On November 21, 2008, the Circuit City employee was hailed as a hero by officials and by customers.

3. Other countries, such as Israel and Britain, have been successful interrupting plots because of the participation of ordinary citizens.

4. The ratio of police to citizens in Montgomery County is 1.6 police to every 1000 citizens. The Police need our help - to be their eyes and ears, just as the FBI needed the help of that video store clerk to catch the bad guys.

5. When in doubt about something that looks suspicious, report it. Reports to the TIP line are anonymous, and the Police will determine whether this is something that requires further investigation or not.

6. Elizabeth Condominium employees are in an excellent position to notice suspicious behavior or circumstances. They are in and out of every apartment, on the roof, in the basement, outside in front of the building, and at the front desk. They should not hesitate to report suspicious behavior or circumstances directly to the TIP line. We need everyone’s help.

HANDOUTS:

There were four handouts from this briefing. Copies of the handouts are available in the Elizabeth Condominium management office.

1. Important Telephone Numbers in our area. (8.5” X 11” single-sided sheet).

2. F.B.I Terrorism Quick Reference Card ((8.5” X 5.5” double-sided card). There is also some of this information on the F.B.I. website at http://www.fbi.gov/page2/aug04/preventterror080204.htm

3. Procedures for Reporting a Crime or Suspicious Activity (8.5” X 11” double-sided sheet). There is also some of this information on the Montgomery County Government website at http://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/poltmpl.asp?url=/content/pol/districts/MSB/recordsdivision/TRS.asp

4. Reporting Suspicious Activities (8.5” X 3.7” double-sided brochure folded twice). There is also some of this information on the Montgomery County Government website at http://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/poltmpl.asp?url=/content/pol/seniorsafetyinformation/suspiciousactivity.asp