DENVER — A store clerk’s curiosity about why Najibullah Zazi was buying large quantities of beauty supply products indicated that something about the transaction wasn’t quite right — and it’s an example of the kind of citizen vigilance that can combat terror, a police commander said Saturday.
Los Angeles police Cmdr. Joan McNamara cited this summer’s incident as police chiefs meeting in Denver adopted a model for a nationwide community watch program that teaches people what behavior is truly suspicious and encourages them to report it to police. Los Angeles police Chief William Bratton, who developed the iWatch program with McNamara, called it the 21st century version of Neighborhood Watch.
The Major Cities Chiefs Association, headed by Bratton and composed of the chiefs of the 63 largest police departments in the U.S. and Canada, endorsed iWatch at the group’s conference Saturday. After the Sept. 11 attacks, the Bush administration proposed enlisting postal carriers, gas and electric company workers, telephone repairmen and other workers with access to private homes in a program to report suspicious behavior to the FBI. Privacy advocates condemned this as too intrusive, and the plan was dropped.
Bratton and McNamara said privacy and civil liberties protections are built into this program.
“We’re not asking people to spy on their neighbors,” McNamara said.
If someone reports something based on race or ethnicity, the police will not accept the report, and someone will explain to the caller why that is not an indicator of suspicious behavior, McNamara said.
I can’t help but to remember stories my family told about relatives in communist Romania, and how an anti government uttering in the local bar could result in their disappearance in the middle of the night, never to be seen again. Thank God that could never happen here, in the land of the free.
I remember hearing about this going on in China many years ago. I rember laughing, saying what a F uped place.
DO NOT OBEY!
“Bratton and McNamara said privacy and civil liberties protections are built into this program.”
To protect the SOURCE of the report not the suspect!
I support this program and it should be expanded. The only relevant issue is “what are the laws of the State that can get you in trouble?”
Pretty silly to conflate “anti government statements” with “terrorist bomb making plots.” The RELEVANT ISSUE is not citizens reporting criminal behavior, the relevant issue is what is criminal behavior.
Weren’t we all upset when neighbors reported children living in tents in the backyard of the pedophile? Was neighbors filing reports with the police a good or bad thing????
“…teaches people what behavior is truly suspicious…”
This would be a great idea if it was used to actually report truly suspicious activity. Now if only we could teach the Police to recognize truly suspicious activity.
#4. You know what’s silly?…read Uncle Dave’s post just below mine. So silly it’s freaking hilarious.
been snitched on by a fellow drug dealer. He was caught with cocaine, so he wore a wire leading in 8 convictions, all I sold was small amounts of marijuana
Now I Felon cant get a job anywhere. living on inheritance. it will run out some day.
They paid the informant for his work, even though he was working off his cocaine charges.
yuck.
#6–McCullough==Unc Dave’s thread supports what I said at Post#4. NO REASONABLE PERSON can disagree that citizens SHOULD TURN IN PEOPLE they think are violating the law. Note: It “should” go without saying that the reporting citizen also thinks the law is valid and should be acted on and after all that is what happened in the header link.
If I see my neighbor raping children in his backyard, is it your position that I should not turn him in????? Or that the police shouldn’t recommend such people be turned in??????
Now–marijuana is against the law. If my neighbor was growing it, I wouldn’t turn them in because I support legalization.
Are you “confusing” the issue with a Police State situation where citizens are “required” to turn neighbors in or be in violation of the law themselves?? I’m against that.
What happened years ago in another country is totally irrelevant.
Didn’t you just celebrate when people ratted out Alabama mom lets daughter ride on top of van?
bobbo- According to a July report from the Administrative Office of the US Courts , of 763 sneak and peek search warrants issued last year, only three were issued in relation to alleged terrorist offenses, or less than one-half of 1% of all such black-bag clandestine searches. Nearly two-thirds (62%) were issued to investigate drug trafficking offenses.
The report also includes figures on existing warrants that were extended last year. When new and extended warrant figures are combined, the total number of warrants was 1,291, with 843, or 65%, for drug investigations. Only five of all new or extended sneak and peek warrants were for terrorism investigations. Of 21 criminal offense categories for which warrants were issued or extended, terrorism ranked 19th, exceeding only conspiracy and bribery.
http://big.assets.huffingtonpost.com/SneakAndPeakReport.pdf
First, Apple left us with a million people imitating that shitty transparent plastic thing. How much longer are we going to have to put up with this iShit?
#10–Jim==how is that all related to this thread? Connect the dots because I can’t do it.
The issue here phrased one way of many is should citizens be encouraged to report suspicious criminal activity to the police?===I say yes, and so will McCullough when he gets off the hash pipe and thinks about it.
#10, jim,
All very well and good. Tell us, what does “Sneak and Peak” warrants, signed by a Judge, have to do with encouraging civilians to spy on and inform on their neighbors?
Well then, I’ll be looking in my neighbors window tonight! I’ll report that she is a nice MILF.
i have a great idea for this, lets all watch the police, and turn them in when they break the law…
If I see a crime being committed I will report it. Whether it is a personal assault, a bank / store robbery, or vandalism, it is wrong and society should not turn its back.
If I disagree with the law, such as someone growing some pot out in their back 40 or allowing their 20 y/o a beer I won’t.
If someone without a hair business is buying large quantities of hydrogen peroxide or someone not a farmer is buying large quantities of nitrogen fertilizer then I agree that activity is suspicious and could be reported. It is not an intrusion to ask them to explain why they are buying all this potential explosive material.
Of course, the right wing nuts will now claim that our right to make bombs is being hindered by the Obama Administration. Oh, the ignominy of not being allowed to make your own bombs.
Osama must be laughing his ass off. Next time I see someone commandeering a jumbo jet full of fuel I’ll report it. You can count on me.
Remember junior G-Men?
Why not turn DU into a CRIME BLOG?
Imagine the fun some of you can have!!!
cool!
or, even better yet an app that highlights suspected crimes on a google map!
WOW!!!
It would be fascinating!
Here is Boner at work:
http://tinyurl.com/y9nueu5
#9 if your talking to me.
I said it was a victimless crime in reference to the 13yo girl on top of the van.
So.. get a life boy. cause we aint got shit to do out here in NH but read Dvorak, have bonfires, and play horse shoes.
“I can’t help but to remember stories my family told about relatives in communist Romania,”
I remember that in the 80s if you didn’t like someone all you have to do is use a public phone and give the U.S. Embassy an anonymous call saying that you knew a communist and then give that person’s address to make him/her dissapear.
“Be Suspicious: Police Chiefs Encourage Spying and Reporting on Your Neighbors”
because we’re to stupid and lazy to go out and find real criminals.
Umm,
REAL neighborhoods ARE THIS WAY..
1. they DONT care what you do…
2. they WATCH your house for STRANGE activity…
3. IF its YOU DOING IT, and not REALLY bothering them…WHO CARES..
The problem comes with the idea…
WHO is protecting WHOM..
IT used to be you had RIGHTS of protection. and you could USE them.
But, the COPS had them all taken away. NOW you cant PROTECT yourself, unless the other person, HAS a WEAPON that can hurt you and COMES with it, with the INTENT to kill you.
A Pool cue dont count. A glass bottle dont count. AN ASSH@$#@ with a MEAN muscle DONT COUNT..
Well if some taliban looking guy comes in asking where he can get huge quantities of chemicals, your darn right I will turn him in to the cops.
“We’re not asking people to spy on their neighbors,” McNamara said. “If someone reports something based on race or ethnicity, the police will not accept the report, and someone will explain to the caller why that is not an indicator of suspicious behavior,” McNamara said.
Yeah, right.
I think it’s a good idea to be aware of your surroundings in a neighborhood setting. But it’s not good to be paranoid. I’d suggest introducing yourself to your neighbors first, find out their names, analyze their character, maybe even do a little research.. But doesn’t it seem a little hypcritical to be staring at your weird neighbor with binoculaurs out the window.. I think that makes both of you weird..