"See Something, Say Something: Keeping Our Homeland Safe Requires an Alert Citizenry"

Op-Ed

Alert citizens can be our first line of defense against terrorist activity. Just recently, tips from alert and concerned citizens led to the arrest of a man in Lubbock, Texas, who was seeking to buy chemicals to make a bomb. Without these tips, a person who wrote in his diary "it is time for Jihad," might have carried out an attack or attacks on his numerous targets, including former President George W. Bush, U.S. military service members, dams, and nuclear power plants.

In May 2010, in New York City's crowded Times Square, two street vendors flagged down a mounted police officer after they spotted a parked SUV spewing smoke. The vehicle contained a crude home-made bomb, which according to police, had the potential to create a large fireball, potentially resulting in a significant number of casualties, had it not malfunctioned. The discovery prompted the evacuation of Times Square, which was, as usual, filled with thousands of tourists and theatergoers.

On Christmas Day 2009, a passenger on a flight bound for Detroit spotted a fellow traveler trying to set fire to something hidden in his clothing. The passenger subdued the man, alerted others, and helped prevent a hidden improvised explosive device from detonating, saving the lives of hundreds of people.

Events like these underscore the importance of citizens reporting suspicious activity when they see it. Unfortunately, our current legal system can deter some citizens from coming forward and reporting potential dangers. For example, in 2006, a group of US Airways passengers found themselves as defendants in a civil rights lawsuit after they reported six Islamic clerics requesting seat changes and asking for, but not using, seat belt extenders that could potentially be used as weapons. They were acting in good faith to report suspicious activity and ended up in litigation for a time.

As Chairman and Ranking Member of the Senate Homeland Security Committee, Senator Joe Lieberman and I have introduced legislation that aims to protect citizens, like those US Airways passengers, from frivolous lawsuits and promote a sense of civic duty through reporting suspicious activity. The "See Something, Say Something Act" says you cannot be sued in American courts for acting in good faith and reporting to a responsible official any suspicious transaction, activity, or occurrence that may lead to an act of terrorism.

In 2007, I coauthored a similar law with Senator Lieberman that provided protection for citizens reporting potential terrorist threats directed at transportation systems. This new legislation would expand those protections to reports of such behavior in sectors other than transportation, like hotels, shopping malls, restaurants, and religious institutions.

The message to convey to the American public is, "If You See Something, Don't Be Afraid to Say Something." Our nation's homeland security depends on it. We need common-sense observance and awareness, in every public place imaginable, to safeguard this nation and its coveted freedoms. And who better than Americans, millions strong, to provide the eyes and ears necessary to protect our homeland.

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