Video: The Seven Signs of Terrorism
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Surveillance |
The first sign of terrorism is surveillance. What should you be looking for and what should be reported? During the planning phase, the terrorist will often conduct surveillance on a possible target. They do this in order to determine the strengths and weaknesses of their target and response times of emergency responders. Routes to and from the target are usually established during the surveillance phase.
The United States Office of Air Force Investigations gives several examples of surveillance activities including someone recording or monitoring activities, drawing diagrams, making notes on maps, using vision-enhancing devices such as binoculars, or possessing floor plans or blueprints of places such as high-tech firms, financial institutions, government or military facilities.
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Elicitation |
The second sign or signal is elicitation. What this means is anyone attempting to gain information about a place, person, or operation. An example is someone attempting to gain knowledge about a critical infrastructure like a power plant, water reservoir, or a maritime port.
Terrorists may attempt to research bridge and tunnel usage, make unusual inquiries concerning shipments, or inquire as to how a military base operates. They may also attempt to place "key" people in sensitive work locations.
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Testing of Security |
The third sign of terrorism is the testing of security. When any attempt to measure reaction times to security breaches takes place your agency should be concerned.
Any attempt to penetrate physical security barriers or procedures in order to assess strengths and weaknesses is known as the testing of securityand our second sign of terrorism.
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Acquiring Supplies |
The fourth sign of terrorism is acquiring supplies. When explosives have been stolen, or even legally purchased, take notice. Detonators, timers and caches of weapons should also heighten awareness.
Not to be overlooked are the acquisition of police or military uniforms, flight manuals, vehicles, decals, or badges. Alone these items can often be explained easily, but purchased together and in concert with the other signs of terror should raise suspicion.
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Suspicious Persons |
A fifth pre-incident indicator is observing suspicious people who just "don't belong." This does not mean we should profile individuals but what it does mean is that we should profile behaviors. This includes suspicious border crossings and stowaways aboard a ship or people jumping ship in a port.
It may mean having someone in a workplace, building, neighborhood, or business establishment that does not fit in because of their demeanor, their language usage or unusual questions they are asking. You, as an officer, may respond to a complaint that may appear to be a routine investigation but results in something much bigger in scope.
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Trial Runs |
Another sign to watch for is "trial runs." Before execution of the final operation or plan, a practice session will be run to work out the flaws and unanticipated problems. A trial or dry run may very well be the heart of a planning stage of a terrorist act. If you find someone monitoring a police radio frequency and recording emergency response times, you may very well be observing a trial run.
Another element of this activity could include mapping out routes and determining the timing of traffic lights and flow. It is during this stage that it is actually our best chance to intercept and stop an attack. Multiple dry runs are normally conducted at or near the target area.
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Deploying Assets |
The seventh and final sign or signal to look for is someone deploying assets or getting into position. This is a person's last chance to alert authorities before the terrorist act occurs.
It is also important to remember that pre-incident indicators may come months or even years apart. Therefore, it is extremely important to document every fragment of information, no matter how insignificant it may appear, and forward this information.
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