Public Safety Agencies Participate in “If You See Something, Say Something®” Awareness Day

SPRINGFIELD – On Saturday, September 25, as part of National Preparedness Month, the Illinois Emergency Management Agency (IEMA) and public safety officials throughout the state will participate in “If You See Something, Say Something®” Awareness Day.  The goal of this event is to inspire, empower and educate the public about the importance of reporting suspicious activity.

“If You See Something, Say Something®” is a national campaign that raises public awareness of the indicators of terrorism and terror-related crime, as well as the importance of reporting suspicious activity to state and local law enforcement.  In these uncertain times, our commitment to terrorist-related suspicious activity reporting and the protection of civil rights and liberties in the reporting process remains steadfast.

“Informed, alert communities play a critical role in keeping our state and our nation safe,” said IEMA Director and State Homeland Security Advisor Alicia Tate-Nadeau. “If you see something suspicious or if something just does not seem right, notify the authorities by calling 9-1-1.  This is more than just a campaign slogan, but the means by which terror plots have been disrupted and lives have been saved.”

IEMA recently launched a campaign to raise awareness of the importance of reporting suspicious activity to state and local law enforcement.  One of the tools in this campaign was the creation of a public service announcement.  In the video, the viewer follows residents in Small Town USA as they walk to a nearby movie theater.  Each couple passes examples of suspicious behavior that should be (and is) reported to local law enforcement.  The video demonstrates that suspicious activities can happen anywhere and at any time. 

Learn more about the “If You See Something, Say Something®” campaign, by visiting www.ready.illinois.gov or our federal partners at www.dhs.gov/SeeSayDay.