DPS NEWS

The 8 Signs of Terrorism

In light of the recent mass shooting in Las Vegas, the Utah Department of Public Safety (DPS) reminds everyone to be vigilant and report suspicious activity to your local law enforcement agency.

“If you see something, say something.”

Know the eight signs of terrorism:

1. Surveillance: demonstrating an unusual interest in facilities to determine how well the target is protected and what security measures are in place.
2. Information gathering: questioning individuals at a level beyond mere curiosity.
3. Testing  security: this may be an attempt at measuring reaction times to security breaches or assess strength and weaknesses.
4. Funding: the raising of money to finance illicit and potential terrorist operations.
5. Acquiring supplies: the acquisition of unusual amounts of precursor materials.
6. Impersonation: Using false documentation, uniforms, badges, access passes or keys to gain access to protected facilities.
7. Rehearsal: terrorists will often rehearse their plans several times over, to ensure successful deployment.
8. Deployment: terrorists are arranging their assets, getting into position or are in the midst of conducting their operation.

“Sadly, we live in a day and age where criminals and terrorists can affiliate themselves through the Internet with radical extremist groups or ideologies and use these causes to support carrying out violent attacks on innocent citizens anywhere in the world,” said Commissioner Keith Squires of the Utah Department of Public Safety.  “That is why it is imperative that we all work together and report suspicious activity when we see it.”

The Utah DPS Statewide Information and Analysis Center (SIAC) works closely with local law enforcement to analyze threats to public safety.

The SIAC works closely with law enforcement throughout the state, and throughout the United States to share and follow any leads or information that would indicate suspicious circumstances regarding potential terror activities. SIAC, Utah’s designated fusion center, is one of 78 state and locally owned fusion centers across the United States and is continuously receiving, analyzing, and disseminating information relevant to public safety.

As part of our ongoing commitment to public safety and the citizens of Utah, we have partnered with the Counterterrorism Education Learning Lab (CELL), Lt. Governor Spencer Cox, local law enforcement agencies and many others, and have created a video and the Community Awareness Program (CAP) designed to educate citizens on how to properly recognize and report suspicious activity in a manner that reduces the likelihood of terrorist attacks and protects the civil liberties of our citizens.