Terrorist alert indicators Published Jan. 18, 2007 By Michael Sydnor 43rd Airlift Wing anti-terrorism advisor POPE AIR FORCE BASE, N.C. -- How can you help disrupt terrorist acts? You can help by being the eyes and ears of local, state and federal authorities, as well as the Air Force Office of Special Investigations and the 43rd Security Forces Squadron, while reporting any suspicious activity. There was a time when people were reluctant to report suspicious activity for fear someone would think they were being paranoid, or that the agency receiving the information would regard the report as "stupid," or insignificant. Those times have passed. Today, all reports are taken seriously. Never be reluctant to report something if it seems out of the ordinary. When reporting suspicious behavior, indicate who you observed, what you saw, where you saw it, and when you saw it. Also report why it is suspicious to you. When reporting suspicious activity, be sure to give a description of the sex of the people involved as well as their race, age, build and any other noticable physical description. You can also include noticable scars, tattoos, missing limbs, complexion color, hair color, weight, and color of clothing. Also, when reporting suspicious activity, look at the vehicle and write the license plate number down immediately. Be sure to note the color, make and body type of the vehicle. Check for any damages or anything unusual on the vehicle; to include, logos, decals, wheel covers missing, tinted windows or a rack on the roof. Disseminating accurate details is paramount. Be sure to consider pre-incident surveillance indicators. These indicators are a person or group who does not fit into the crowd. It could be a person or group you have never seen at the mall and are not shopping. It could also be a person or group at a supermarket, mall, hospital or theater carrying a back pack or package acting in a suspicious manner and not paying particular attention to what is on the screen. A person or group seen video taping a special event but not observing the event can be considered suspicious. A person or group taking sketches or video taping a historical sight can be suspicious as well. A person or group who gets up from their seat on a bus or during an event and leaves their briefcase or backpack where they were seated need to be reported. These acts may appear harmless, but these can be pre-incident indicators. You are the expert of your home and workplace. If it appears out of place and suspicious to you, immediately report it to your local authorities. If you detect suspicious persons or activity, do not take action. Do not confront the person and or individuals. Do not reveal your suspicions. Record as many details as possible. Immediately notify the appropriate local, state and or federal authorities. Should you observe a suspicious person or activity on base, notify the 43rd SFS immediately by calling 394-2800. You can also notify your unit antiterrorism representative or AFOSI. If you detect suspicious activity off-base notify your local authorities. During your day to day travels we ask everyone to remain alert, and be vigilant. Let's continue to help our base, local, state and federal authorities protect our beautiful country.