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11 Introduction Criminals and terrorists cannot succeed easily when vigilant personnel surround their targets. The most effective deterrent is for all personnel, not just security, to be attentive to their surroundings. Experience has repeatedly shown that potential adver- saries abandon their plans or choose different targets when they believe their presence has been detected, even when their hostile intent remains a secret. The greatest tragedy of terrorist/criminal activity is often revealed during the post- event investigations when one or more witnesses are found who say something like, âI saw a person doing [something unusual] near the scene of the event [beforehand], but I didnât think anything about it.â If the âunusual behaviorâ had been reported to the appropriate security personnel, the incident may have been prevented. All criminal/terrorist events are preceded by recognizable, unusual behavior days, weeks, and sometimes even months before the event. While terrorists/criminals can shield unusual behavior from security personnel and cameras, they absolutely cannot keep ordinary people and employees from seeing what they are doing. Many people view terrorism and criminal behavior like a huge black cloud on the hori- zon that cannot be stopped. Nothing could be further from the truth. Everyone has an important role to play in stopping these activities. This manual will assist transportation/ highway workers at every level in detecting, observing, and reporting unusual activity so security personnel can follow up. Remember, when a potential terrorist/criminal comes to your vicinity to plan an action, he/she will likely be unfamiliar with the area and the normal activities that occur there. You know your own workplace or neighbor- hood very well. You will easily be able to identify unusual activities. The risk of being a victim of road rage, workplace violence, domestic violence, or ordi- nary street crime is far greater than the risk of being a victim of a terrorist attack. Although the term âterrorist/criminalâ is used throughout this manual, observation skills and reporting techniques will help protect employees from all the risks mentioned above. The objective of this manual is to help you detect and report unusual behavior you may see while conducting your normal activities. Use this manual as a guide to sharpen you skills in taking greater notice of your surroundings. As your skill level increases, the comfort level of would-be terrorists/criminals will decline sharply. Hopefully, they will decide to go somewhere else.
