COLUMNS

'See Something, Say Something' Still Works. Here's Why.

Scott Stewart

VP of Tactical Analysis, Stratfor

Dec 31, 2019 | 10:00 GMT

Abstract montage of a man's eye with a radar grid overlaying the pupil.

Some have criticized the U.S. government's "see something, say something" program. Citizen reports, however, have helped thwart many would-be massacres over the past year.

(Shutterstock/ARENA Creative)

Highlights

Attackers come in all shapes and sizes, but their actions are often predictable and detectable.
Identifying and reporting these actions, as well as other suspicious behaviors, allows authorities to investigate and determine whether they're innocuous or sinister.
This is why the "see something, say something" doctrine has proven time and again to be effective in stopping potential attacks in their tracks.

According to a database compiled by AP, USA Today and Northeastern University, more mass killings occurred in the United States in 2019 than in any year since at least the 1970s. While concerning, this record is unfortunately not surprising given the recent uptick of public attacks in the country. But the number of such attacks in 2019 would have been far higher had it not been for citizens adhering to the "see something, say something" principle. Indeed, in December alone, several mass shootings were apparently thwarted by good Samaritans who alerted authorities to the potential attacks. That's because potential perpetrators, regardless of their varying motives, all have to follow the same steps prior to an attack. And this, combined with the indications of intent attackers often also leak, leaves a trail of breadcrumbs that ordinary citizens can spot and report to authorities before it's too late....

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