America's Waterway Watch (AWW), a combined effort of the United States Water Patrol, U.S. Coast Guard and its Reserve and Auxiliary components, continues to grow, enlisting the active participation of those who live, work or play around America's waterfront areas.

If you are a tow boat operator, a recreational boater, a fisherman, a marina operator, or otherwise live, work or engage in recreational activities around America's waterways, the United States Coast Guard wants your help in keeping these areas safe and secure. You can do this by participating in its America's Waterway Watch (AWW) program, a nationwide initiative similar to the well known and successful Neighborhood Watch program that asks community members to report suspicious activities to local law enforcement agencies.

As a person who spends much of your time on or near the water, you already know what is normal and what is not, and you are well suited to notice suspicious activities - activities possibly indicating threats to our nation's homeland security.

And as a participant in America's Waterway Watch we urge you to adopt a heightened sense of sensitivity toward unusual events or individuals you may encounter in or around ports, docks, marinas, riversides, beaches, or waterfront communities.

You should always remember that people are not suspicious, behavior is. And if you observe suspicious behavior or activity, you should simply note the details and contact local law enforcement. You are not expected to approach or challenge anyone acting in a suspicious manner.

America's Waterway Watch is a public outreach program, encouraging participants to simply report suspicious activity to the Coast Guard and/or other law enforcement agencies. Unlike some Neighborhood Watch programs, for example, you are not formally joining an organization -- there are no meetings, membership cards or membership requirements -- and you do not become an agent of the US Water Patrol or any other law enforcement agency.

To Report Suspicious Activity: Call the National Response Center at 877-24WATCH If There Is Immediate Danger to Life or Property, Call 9-1-1 or Call the Coast Guard on Marine Channel 16

Why do we need America's Waterway Watch?

America's coasts, rivers, bridges, tunnels, ports, ships, military bases, and waterside industries may be the terrorists' next targets. Though waterway security is better than ever, with more than 95000 miles of shoreline, over 290,000 square miles of water, and approximately 70 million recreational boaters in the United States, the Coast Guard and local first responders can not do the job alone.

Many Americans like you have asked, "How can I help?" The answer is clear: By participating in America's Waterway Watch!

How do I get more information about America's Waterway Watch?

United States Water Patrol & U.S.Coast Guard  as well as the Coast Guard Auxiliary, distribute material such as informational brochures, boat decals, and reporting forms in the course of conducting Vessel Safety Checks and Public Education Safe Boating Courses. In addition, brochures and posters are distributed to marine dealers, marinas and other commercial business located near

What is "Suspicious Activity?"

"Am I witnessing a threat or a crime?"  Most of us have found ourselves wondering this at some time or other. However, because we are not really sure, we tend to ignore what we have just seen and, hoping it wasn't so, we continue about our business. Prior to September 11, 2001 this would have been an acceptable reaction. But times have changed, and we no longer have that luxury.

Keeping in mind that "People aren't suspicious, behavior is," here are some situational examples of behaviors and activities that may help you determine what is suspicious and, thus, what should be reported:

UNUSUAL OPERATION OF A SMALL BOAT, ACCOMPANIED BY VIDEO TAPING OR STILL PHOTOGRAPHY	You observe a boat being operated aimlessly (with no apparent destination). The boat is occupied by three young to middle-age people -- not a "family" as usually seeing cruising these waters. A little while later you see the same boat, this time with two occupants, and its movement is repetitive. It circles around bridge abutments for awhile, and makes several passes alongside a shore side power plant, moored commercial vessels, and a ferry passenger terminal. You notice that the passenger is taking still and video pictures of the facilities. Later you observe the boat picking up the third person from a public dock near the bridge. He boards the boat carrying a video camera and a notebook. These actions could indicate initial surveillance of a potential terrorist targets, or preparation for an attack, and should be reported.
PEOPLE TAKING STILL PHOTOGRAPHS OR VIDEO TAPING FROM THE SHORE	A white mid-sized four-door sedan pulls into a "view" area near a railway bridge; drops off two passengers, and departs. One of the passengers begins taking video pictures of the bridge and of a commuter train and a long freight train which, headed in opposite directions, pass each other on the bridge about 15 minutes later. (As a frequent and long-time marina worker, you know they do every weekday throughout the year). The second person appears to be taking notes, and occasionally glances at his left wrist as if checking a watch. You continue down river, returning to your home marina just a quarter mile South. As you pull into the service dock, you notice what appears to be the same white sedan parked at water's edge in the marina parking lot. The driver is outside the car, and is in the process of packing a large video camera into its storage case. A few minutes later he gets into his vehicle and drives away. People photographing or video taping potential terrorist targets are engaged in activities that should be considered suspicious.
PERSON RUNNING	You notice a person running away from an area close to a secure facility. Some questions should come to mind: Does this person's behavior or dress indicate he is more than the usual jogger? Does he appear to be someone just in a hurry, or does his running have a heightened sense of urgency or tension about it? It would be suspicious if he were looking about furtively, as if he were concerned about being observed or pursued.
PERSON ENGAGED IN SURVEILLANCE	You work in a business in the immediate vicinity of a ferry terminal, and you ride the ferry to and from work everyday. One day you observe a particular person taking pictures of the shore side -- unusual for people riding the ferry during "commute time." While at work you notice the same person board a ferry to a different destination, and return a few hours later. The next day you see the same person loitering around the terminal as passengers pass through security while boarding ferries -- at one point the person joins a group lining up to board a ferry, takes some pictures, but leaves the group without boarding. During the day you see this person making two round-trip ferry rides -- once wearing a large back pack, and once carrying a oversized brief case. Over several days you notice the same person engaged in varied activity, at different times, all in the vicinity of the ferry terminal. Could the activity be completely innocent and explainable? Of course. Could the person be engaged in surveillance in preparation for a terrorist attack? Perhaps. Is the behavior suspicious enough to report. Yes.
PERSON ASKING UNUSUAL QUESTIONS	While you are working on a customer's boat, a stranger approaches you and strikes up a conversation. She says she is interested in renting dock space for her boat at the marina, and says, "I guess my boat will be pretty secure here since it's very close to the power plant across the bay, and I'm sure the area is heavily patrolled by the Coast Guard and police." She then presses you for more details about the type of land and water patrols, their frequency and their scheduling. The person may be asking legitimate questions, but may also be gathering information for a potential terrorist attack.
SUSPICIOUS CONDITIONS -- PHYSICAL BREACHES OF SECURITY	A chain link security fence topped by barbed wire has been erected around the abutments of a bridge you pass by every day. One day you notice that there is a large hole in the fence, large enough to allow a person to climb through. Even though you don't observe either anyone in the area or any object placed inside the fence, you are aware that the hole is large enough for an adult to crawl through. Several hundred feet down the road, you also notice a car or truck parked in an unusual place -- very close to another security fence at a waterfront shipping facility. The vehicle could be used as a platform for terrorists or criminals to facilitate climbing over the fence to gain access to the secured area. Both of these are suspicious conditions and physical breaches of security that should be reported, so the fence can be repaired and the vehicle moved.
PERSON RENTING A BOAT -- TOTALITY OF CONDUCT	You work at a business that rents small boats by the hour. In the process of renting a boat for the day "to do some fishing," two men ask about the "best fishing spots" on the bay and, pointing in the direction of the Navy base to the North, ask if that might not be a good place to fish. You tell them, "No, the best fishing is in the South Bay area." They fill out the paperwork, and pay you the required deposit and "full day" rate with a credit card. Neither of them seem all that interested in the terms of the contract, nor in the fact that they are not entitled to a partial refund if they return before the end of the day. You then help them load the boat with obviously brand-new fishing equipment and two large coolers, and take the time to remind them, "It might be a good idea to buy some bait." After you check them out on operation of the boat, they leave the dock -- and head North in the direction of the Navy base. The whole situation starts to seem strange to you, including the fact that the person's recently issued drivers license provided as proof of identity, the bank credit card used for payment, and the license plate on their vehicle were from three different states. Individually, each of the oddities in this situation do not rise to the level of "suspicious behavior," but when viewed in their totality they do.

Right after September 11, 2001, just about every American realized that "a terrorist attack could happen again", and adopted a heightened sense of awareness of the possibility. If a plane flew over a baseball stadium, every eye looked skyward -- at least in part a visceral reaction to the possibility we were once again being attacked. Over time, though, people's minds adapted to the new reality, and they realized that if engines of an attacking aircraft could be heard, it was probably too late to do anything about it.

But there are things you can do.

America's Waterway Watch gives normal citizens the ability to harness their "heightened sense of awareness" in a way that is both meaningful and productive. Because it is a personal system, where you logically determine what is suspicious, it is more understandable than any color-coded advisory system where the determination is made by others. And because it is a reporting system, you can actually do something with the information you observe and develop.

Simply agreeing to participate in America's Waterway Watch raises your awareness level one notch -- you know you have a job to do. Reading the program's material, you will realize that you are recognized as having a certain amount of expertise about the waterway environment you spend much of your time in -- you know what "normal activity" is and, conversely, what activity is "not normal." This expertise is invaluable to the professionals who will follow up on what you report -- another notch.

The "case study" narrative examples set forth above describe many individual "facts" -- each of which may be seen as normal behavior by many observers. But each of them, also, may trigger the "heightened sense of awareness" of you or another local expert who may feel that the activity is "just not normal" for the time and place, and just might be "suspicious" when viewed in conjunction with other facts in plain view.

The fact that catches your immediate attention -- the initial "trigger" -- may be completely innocuous and have no bearing on a final determination that the overall activity is suspicious. For example, you might know (or think) that a "white mid-sized four-door sedan" (in the second case study, above) is typical of rental cars, but that "fact" may have nothing to do with the subsequent suspicious activities. Without it, though, you may not have continued to pay attention, and you may never have never connected the dots that followed.

And, though some suspicious activity can only be identified either by observation over a period of time and/or through logically considering the "totality of conduct," sometimes immediate action is called for. If, for example, a person is seen entering a potential terrorist target through a hole in a security fence, and placing a package inside the facility, you should rightfully call law enforcement authorities on 911, or the Coast Guard on Marine Channel 16.

When you participate in America's Waterway Watch, you become another set of "eyes and ears" for the Coast Guard and for local law enforcement agencies -- both of which need all they help they can get in identifying threats to our Homeland Security. Being a witness after the fact -- telling us what you previously saw after an attack has been executed -- will not help at all.

Where Should I Look for "Suspicious Activity?"

Watch for suspicious activities of vessels and individuals in locations such as:

? Near commercial areas or services like ports, fuel docks, cruise ships, marinas.

? Near industrial facilities like power plants and oil, chemical, or water intake facilities.

? Near military bases and vessels, other government facilities, or security zones

? In and around passenger terminals for ferries and day cruiser lines

? Near railroad lines serving any of the above listed facilities.

You are NOT expected to patrol any particular area. Your expertise in recognizing suspicious activity is derived from your familiarity with surroundings you operate within while engaged in your normal work or recreation around the waterfront.

What Should I Do?

Report what you find unusual!

First call the National Response Center at 877-24WATCH. For immediate danger to life or property call 911, or call the Coast Guard on Marine VHF-FM Channel 16.

NEVER approach someone you fear may be about to commit an illegal act or crime. Make some notes, such as the person's appearance, clothing, car license plate, and the type of boat, vehicle or aircraft involved. Take a picture if you can, but keep your distance if the situation seems hostile.

Provide details:

Be specific in details whenever you report something amiss to authorities. Generalized descriptions and concerns (e.g., "That guy looks shifty to me...") don't provide sufficient information and may not carry the appropriate sense of urgency.

Details carry weight:

"I'm at the Safe Haven Marina and just saw [something dangerous] loaded from a silver SUV into a white Boston Whaler with the registration number of CF1234YZ. I can't read the SUV's plate number, but I think it's an out of state plate. The boat operator seems to be intimidated by his passengers; and the passengers seem to be trying to keep out of sight. I think something bad is about to happen."

Pay attention to height, weight, gender, clothing, or other identifiable traits of the people engaged in suspicious activity -- you may be asked for this type of information.

How to Make a Proper Description of a Person, Boat or Vehicle

Never use race or religion as an indicator of suspicious activity, always rely on the idea that what you are observing is like a puzzle and if your instincts suspect suspicious activity, and you have observed a person/groups actions that you can report to back up your instincts and feelings, then you can report your observations using reliable methods:

All reports should contain the "5 Ws and an H" which means you should be able to articulate a majority of the Who, What, Where, When, Why, and How of what's going on. This will be the line of questioning you can expect from law enforcement when submitting a report. If you do not have a majority of these questions covered, than articulate exactly what makes you feel suspicious of a person, group, or situation when reporting.

Use C.Y.M.B.A.L.S.

CYMBALS is an acronym that may help you remember descriptive information about people, boats and vehicles.

What Else Should I Do?

? Secure and lock your boat when not on board. Take the keys. Disable the engine on stored or trailered boats, and make sure the boat is not easily moved.

? If you manage a waterside facility where employees such as dockmasters or attendants wear uniforms or safety apparel with identifying logos, badges and/or nametags, make sure the uniforms are stored in a relatively secure area -- safe from theft by potential terrorists who may want to blend in by assuming a false identity.

? Display an America's Waterway Watch decal/sticker prominently on a window of your boat or at your place of business.

? Marinas and other waterfront businesses should display an AWW poster, and have informational brochures and decals readily available for customers who want to participate in the program. Publicizing that people are watching for suspicious activity is a terrorism deterrent in and of itself.

? If you feel you could use further information about AWW, or training on how to identify suspicious activities or conditions, contact a Coast Guard office in your vicinity  Formal training in a classroom setting can be arranged, and you may, for example, want to set up a group training session for all of your employees.

? Do not approach or challenge anyone acting in a suspicious manner. Being vigilant does not mean being a vigilante.

Instead, you should report suspicious activity or conditions by calling the National Response Center at 877-24WATCH. For immediate danger to life or property call 911, or call the Coast Guard on Marine VHF-FM Channel 16. Any follow-up action is best handled by trained law enforcement professionals.