The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) today announced a new partnership between DHS’ “If You See Something, Say Something™” public awareness campaign and the National Hockey League (NHL) – highlighting the Department’s continued partnership with the sports industry to ensure the safety and security of employees, players and fans.
“Every citizen plays a critical role in identifying and reporting suspicious activities and threats,” said Secretary Napolitano. “By expanding the ‘If You See Something, Say Something™’ campaign to the NHL, we are working together to ensure the safety and security of employees, players, and fans.”
As part of the Department’s “If You See Something, Say Something™” partnership with the NHL, a Public Service Announcement will be read before and during games, and campaign graphics will appear on the videoboard and on ribbon boards. Safety messaging will also be printed on the back of NHL Winter Classic credentials for staff, players, and volunteers. In addition, the Department has partnered with the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and City of Philadelphia to place “If You See Something, Say Something™” advertisements throughout Philadelphia at airports and gas stations, and on buses, trains and billboards.
“We are honored to use a great platform like the Winter Classic to play our part in helping keep America safe,” said NHL Vice President of Communications Jamey Horan.
The “If You See Something, Say Something™” campaign – originally implemented by New York City’s Metropolitan Transportation Authority and now licensed to DHS for a nationwide campaign – is a simple and effective program to engage the public and key frontline employees to identify and report indicators of terrorism, crime and other threats to the proper transportation and law enforcement authorities.
Over the past year, DHS has collaborated with federal, state, local and private sector partners to expand the “If You See Something, Say Something™” campaign, and with the Department of Justice on the nationwide SAR Initiative – an administration effort to train state and local law enforcement to recognize behaviors and indicators related to terrorism, crime and other threats; standardize how those observations are documented and analyzed; and ensure the sharing of those reports with the Federal Bureau of Investigation-led Joint Terrorism Task Forces for further investigation.
Recent expansions of the “If You See Something, Say Something™” campaign include partnerships with numerous sports teams and leagues, transportation agencies, private sector partners, states, municipalities, and colleges and universities. DHS also unveiled new Public Service Announcements (PSAs) which have been distributed to television and radio stations across the country.
DHS will continue to expand the “If You See Something, Say Something™” campaign nationally to help America’s businesses, communities and citizens remain vigilant and play an active role in keeping the country safe.
For more information, visit www.dhs.gov.
I just wrote this to the NHL:
I just read this article (http://campaign2012.washington… with great interest and I am shocked. The DHS has worked into the American culture a system of citizen spies reminiscent of Nazi Germany, East Germany, the Soviet Union, and the People’s Republic of China. Citizen spy networks are a method of control over a population and are merely a way to drive paranoia into the hearts of everyday people. The DHS has attacked veterans of our armed forces, supporters of Ron Paul, people who believe in the Constitution, gun-owners, people who pay with cash, photograph buildings, and many other mundane things and labeled them as potential terrorists. We live in a country that has put fear into everyone and then labels ordinary people as a threat. Ben Franklin said it best, “Those who would trade essential liberty for temporary security deserve neither.” If this infringement upon the rights of hockey fans is allowed to continue I cannot, in good faith, spend any more money at an NHL game or on NHL merchandise. I will also not watch a single telecast nor support sponsors of the NHL.