Reporting Suspicious Persons, Activities, Vehicles, Etc. for Terrorism Prevention

You should also be vigilant and aware of your surroundings and report anything that doesn’t fit in or seems out of the ordinary.  Be aware yet fair.  Avoid stereotyping and profiling.  Some examples of persons, activities, vehicles, etc. that could be considered suspicious are listed below.  Some are clearly emergencies.  They should be reported immediately by calling 911.  Others may be considered as non-emergencies.  They should be reported to the SDPD at (619) 531-2000 or (858) 484-3154.  It will notify and coordinate actions with the FBI and other government agencies.  When a terrorist act appears imminent you should also notify any law enforcement or security personnel that are in the immediate area.  If there is any doubt as to whether the situation is an emergency it is always better to be on the safe side and call 911.

• Emergencies
• Non-Emergencies  

Emergencies

Call 911 to report persons doing the following:

• Sketching, taking notes, drawing maps or diagrams, photographing, videotaping, or otherwise monitoring facilities not normally associated with tourist activity or other places that may be targets for terrorist attacks, e.g., key government facilities, airports, bridges, chemical plants, power plants, schools, religious institutions, shopping centers, etc.
• Collecting detailed information on facility entrances, exits, driveways, parking spaces, etc.
• Using binoculars, high-magnification lenses, or night-vision or thermal-imaging devices in observing a facility or activity that may be a target
• Attempting to obtain information about a person, place, operation, or event that may be a target
• Attempting to improperly acquire explosives, detonators, timers, weapons, ammunition, etc.
• Attempting to buy large amounts of high-nitrate fertilizers
• Loading vehicles with weapons or explosives 
• Attempting to improperly acquire official uniforms, passes, badges, etc.
• Seeking treatment for chemical burns or missing hands/fingers
• Having untreated chemical burns or missing hands/fingers

Persons with several of the following characteristics may be suicide bombers carrying bombs.

• Are nervous, sweating, or mumbling
• Are wearing loose or bulky clothing that is inappropriate for the current weather conditions
• Are wearing an inordinate amount of perfume, cologne, or other scents that may be used to mask chemical odors
• Do not look like they belong in the uniform or dress they are wearing, which may be a disguise to elude detection
• Are carrying or wearing heavy objects
• Holding a bag or package close to his or her body
• Are repeatedly patting upper body or adjusting clothing
• Keeping one or both hands in pockets or close to his or her body, possible holding a detonator switch
• Having visible wires or an explosive belt protruding from under his or her clothing
• Having bulges or padding around the midsection
• Appearing well-groomed but wear sloppy clothing
• Having a pale face from recently shaving a beard
• Not responding to direct salutations or authoritative commands
• Walking in a deliberate, stiff, or awkward manner
• Acting in an unusually vigilant manner
• Having a blank facial expression, or appearing extremely focused or in a trance
• Exhibiting unusually calm and detached behavior

Letters or packages that contain a bomb or a chemical, biological, or radiological (CBR) threat may have one or more of the following characteristics.  Handle them with great care.  Don’t shake, bump, smell, or open them.  Put them down carefully and leave the area.  Do not open windows.  Call 911 from a landline phone outside the area.  Do not use a cell phone or pager; it may trigger the bomb.  Wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water if you touched the letter or package.

• Are unexpected or from someone you don’t know
• Are addressed to someone now longer at your address
• Have no return address or one that does not appear legitimate
• Are bulky, lumpy, or lopsided in appearance
• Have wires or other unusual contents that are protruding or can be felt through the envelope or wrapping
• Are sealed with excessive amounts of tape or string
• Have restrictive markings such as “Personal” or “Confidential”
• Have excessive postage
• Emit a strange odor
• Are mailed from a foreign country
• Do not have a named addressee, e.g., are addressed to a title only
• Have incorrect title or misspelled words in the address
• Have oily stains, discolorations, or crystallization on the wrapper

Objects in the open, or in vehicles or buildings having the following characteristics may be bombs:

• Unattended bags, backpacks, boxes, etc. near places that may be targets
• Having antennas, batteries, timers, capped pipes, etc.
• Emitting a strong chemical odor

Get away from a suspicious object after reporting it.  300 yards is a minimum distance.  Then take cover for protection against bomb fragments.  Get on the ground if no cover is available.  Maintain distance and cover, or leave the area after an explosion.  Be alert and cautious in reentering the area to help victims.  Look out for secondary explosive devices.

Non-emergencies

Call SDPD at (619) 531-2000 or (858) 484-3154 to report the following:

• Persons or activities that do not appear to belong in the workplace, neighborhood, business establishment, or near a key facility or event because of their demeanor, behavior, language, dress, activity, etc.
• Multiple sighting of the same suspicious persons, vehicles, or activities at the same location
• Deliveries of chemicals directly to self-storage facilities
• Unusual deliveries of chemicals to residences or rural addresses
• Street people not previously seen in the area, i.e., panhandlers, shoe shiners, food or flower vendors, newsagents, street sweepers, etc.

Persons doing the following:

• Sitting in a parked vehicle for an extended period of time
• Loitering in public places, e.g., bus stops and train stations
• Loitering near or wandering around a possible target
• Carrying on long conversations on pay or cellular phones near a possible target
• Wearing military or other uniforms that don’t appear to belong in them
• Observing security measures or personnel, entry points, access controls, and perimeter barriers such as fences or walls, at a possible target
• Testing or probing security measures, e.g., by driving by a sensitive area, attempting to enter a sensitive area, inquiring about security measures, attempting to smuggle contraband through check points, asking for directions, claiming to be lost, etc.
• Attempting to enter a key facility without proper ID, prior notification and approval, etc.
• Being in a key facility without required visible ID
• Staring or quickly looking away from personnel or vehicles entering or leaving a key facility or parking area
• Carrying heavy bags or backpacks near a possible target
• Setting down bags or backpacks near a possible target and then walking away
• Behaving as if they may be planning a terrorist act, e.g., by mapping routes, timing traffic lights or traffic flow, playing out scenarios, monitoring key facilities or events, etc.

Vehicles that:

• Are parked near a key facility for an unusual period of time
• Are commonly used for deliveries, e.g., trucks, vans, or U-Hauls, that are parked in locations not usually used for deliveries without prior authorization
• Are out of place in the environment, e.g., a tractor-trailer parked in a residential neighborhood, and may have out-of-state or temporary plates
• Are abandoned
• Are overloaded
• Are leaking a fluid
• Have been modified to handle heavier than normal loads, additional storage space, or increased fuel capacity
• Have excessively darkened or tinted windows, or temporary window coverings to prevent viewing of the vehicle’s interior
• Show signs of theft, e.g., damaged locks, missing windows, etc.
• Bear a temporary commercial placard affixed with tape or magnets, or a permanent placard that is unusual, unrecognizable, or has misspelled words
• Contain batteries, wiring, timers, other power supply or switching components, unmarked packages or unusual items such as PVC pipe, magnets, compressed gas cylinders, fire extinguishers, etc. in the passenger compartment
• Contain blueprints, maps, sketching materials, or surveillance equipment, e.g., binoculars, video cameras, high-magnification lenses, etc. in the passenger compartment