Marine Corps Base Quantico -- You always hear the refrain, “see something, say something,” never thinking that you will actually ever see something worth reporting.
Recently, however, someone did see something near the Marine Mart aboard Marine Corps Base Quantico and did say something.
They called Eagle Eyes to report a suspicious person in the vicinity and military police officers responded. After a brief investigation, the officers found that the suspicious person was on the installation debarment list.
In the light of the recent terrorist attacks, a renewed emphasis has been placed on members of the public to keep an eye out for suspicious behavior. To that end, many jurisdictions including the State of Virginia Police and the City of Fredericksburg have developed smart phone aps that allow users to report suspicious activity directly from their smart phone.
The Marine Corps similarly has the Eagle Eyes program which allows anyone to submit a report directly to base officials either via the Eagle Eyes website, www.usmceagleeyes.org, or by calling 703-432-EYES (3937).
“Bottom line is if it doesn’t feel right or look right, report it,” said Orvel Ronk, who is the antiterrorism program manager for the base. “There is no repercussion for reporting something that turns out to be nothing.”
Ronk explained there are several behaviors that can indicate nefarious intent. Suspicious activities can include any of the following:
• Surveillance: Someone observing target area; drawing diagrams, annotating maps, in possession of floor plans
• Elicitation: someone making unusual inquiries about a place, person or operation
• Test of security: Someone moving into sensitive areas to observe security and gather data
• Acquiring supplies: The purchase or theft of explosives, weapons, or ammunition, or storing harmful chemicals or equipment, or counterfeiting IDs
• Suspicious people who don’t belong: Because of their demeanor, their language usage or unusual questions they ask
• Dry runs: Practice run for terrorist response activity. Someone monitoring police scanners to record emergency response times, or mapping out routes to determine traffic flow
• Deploying assets or getting into position: This is our last chance to alert authorities.
“Community members act as force multipliers and are a critical resource in supporting law enforcement’s efforts to prevent crime and terrorism,” said Joe Riley, deputy police chief for the base. “They know when something is out of place. They are the ‘eyes and ears’ of the communities in which they reside and work.”
Riley said that the more detailed the report, the more helpful it is to law enforcement and security officials.
“Details matter. The more you observe, the more helpful your information is to law enforcement. At a minimum, remember the 5 W’s. Who is doing it (detailed description of person and clothing), what are they doing? When did you observe it? Where did you observe it and why is it suspicious. If it involves a vehicle, try to remember the model, year, color, condition, bumper stickers, license plate number, and any other distinguishing information,” Riley said.