Public education is a vital component in our local effort to keep the citizens of Leon County informed about their role in the battle on terrorism. Terrorism is just another type of crime. Terrorism prevention is the same as crime prevention. You just have to look at it differently than the traditional crimes we deal with on a daily basis.

   Law enforcement agencies depend on alert citizens to identify and report things that seem out of the ordinary in their neighborhoods, communities, and places of business. In essence, citizens act as Law Enforcement's "eyes and ears." By working through Neighborhood Watch networks, the public can play a potentially crucial role in the detection, disruption and prevention of terrorist acts.

   The nation's goal is to double the number of Neighborhood Crime Watch groups in the country over the next two years. With your intention to start a Neighborhood Crime Watch group, you are taking an important step toward helping to secure our homeland.

   Homeland Security is in fact a natural progression for the Crime Prevention Unit at no added cost to the tax payer. Our Crime Prevention Unit's mission in dealing with Homeland Security is to focus resources from throughout our agency and partner with other community agencies to work towards mitigation, prevention, response and recovery from incidents of terrorism and weapons of mass destruction. Our unit will assist in assessing vulnerabilities in our community.

   What can we all do to be more prepared?

BE ALERT! - Spot suspicious packages, luggage, or mail abandoned in a crowded place, like an office building, an airport, a school, or a shopping center.

LISTEN! - If you hear or know of someone who has bragged or talked about plans to harm citizens in violent attacks or who claims membership in a terrorist organization, take it seriously and report it to Law Enforcement immediately!

   The Leon County Sheriff's Office has teamed up with our North Florida Regional Domestic Security Task Forces partners in creating the Business Owners Against Terrorism "BOAT" Program. This initiative will provide local businesses with the tools necessary to protect their assets and help safeguard the citizens and visitors of Florida. The Business Owners Against Terrorism program was created by the Task Force to educate local business owners about the threats of terrorism that they may encounter every day. Click here for more information on the BOAT program and to view training videos for 5 major business categories that may be targeted by terrorists.

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