Homeland Secretary Janet Napolitano announced a nationwide expansion of New York’s "See Something, Say Something," campaign that will start with Amtrak Police.

 

"Today, along with the Department of Justice and Amtrak, we are announcing a significant step toward enhancing security of the nation’ rail infrastructure through the implementation of a ...nationwide Suspicious Activity Reporting, or SAR, capability throughout the entire Amtrak rail system," she told reporters.

 

Under the SAR program, Amtrak officers will gather disparate bits of information that, when pieced together and analyzed, could indicate a threat. The DHS and FBI analysts receiving the information, "have extensive training to distinguish between legal and illegal behavior." She added the program will protect the privacy rights and civil liberties of the public.

 

Napolitano said the SAR program will complement an expanded "See Something, Say Something," campaign, originally developed by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority for riders on New York City’s subways, busses and commuter trains. "The concept is simple," Napolitano said. "If you are on a train, or standing on a platform, on in a station or public place and you see something that doesn’t look right, or out of place, like an unattended package or bag, or an individual acting in a suspicious manner, report it to law enforcement."