If You See Something, Say Something®

About the Campaign

The “If You See Something, Say Something®” campaign was originally implemented and trademarked by the New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority (NY MTA) in 2002 and is licensed to the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police (CACP) for the purpose of a national campaign in Canada.

The purpose of the “If You See Something, Say Something®” campaign is to raise awareness of suspicious activity that may constitute a national security threat and to emphasize the importance of reporting suspicious activity to law enforcement or security officials.

Threats to national security can come in many forms and early identification is possible. By working together, knowing what to look for and what to do with the information we receive, we can make a difference, ensuring safety and security for all of us.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has designated September 25 as national “If You See Something, Say Something®” Awareness Day. For more information on the DHS campaign, visit https://www.dhs.gov/see-something-say-something.

Suspicious Activity

Identifying and reporting suspicious incidents help law enforcement and security agencies keep Canadians and Canada safe. It is important for frontline employees and the public to report anything they deem suspicious. Frontline employees are best placed to observe suspicious behaviours as they are familiar with their surroundings and know best what fits into their daily routine.

There are a numer of indicators of terrorism and terrorism-related crime that Canadians can be on the look-out for:

• Someone showing an unusual interest in or taking pictures/video of people, buildings, security features, or surrounding areas.
• Someone trying to obtain or conduct training in security concepts.
• Someone collecting materials such as cell phones, toxic substances, and weapons
• Unauthorized people getting into a restricted area, system or protected site, or impersonating authorized personnel, which can include theft of uniforms or access badges
• Damaging, manipulating, or breaking part of a facility, infrastructure, or sercured site
• Interactions with, or challenges to personnel or systems that show physical, personnel or cyber security capabilities. This might look like suspicious items/packages, trying to get private information, and diversionary tactics.
• Someone making or communicating a threat to harm or kill people or damage a facility, infrastructure, or secure site.

The presence of any single behaviour does not constitute a national security threat or other serious criminal activity. However, a cluster of behaviours may indicate suspicious activity worthy of in-depth examination. An occurrence may seem unimportant, but together, combined with other incident information, could be indicative of a greater threat. When an incident occurs or intelligence is received regarding a potential threat, early reporting to law enforcement is key to ensuring a timely response. 

The “If You See Something, Say Something®” campaign respects the rights and privacy of citizens’ by emphasizing behaviour, rather than appearance, in identifying suspicious activity. Factors such as assumptions, race, ethnicity, national origin, gender or gender identity, sexual orientation, and/or religious affiliation are not suspicious. Partners should only report suspicious behaviours and situations, such as unattended bags, or packages or an individual breaking into a restricted area.

Reporting Suspicious Activity

If something seems wrong, notify law enforcement authorities as soon as possible. If you have any doubts or would like to report a suspicious incident, please contact your local police service or call the RCMP National Security Information Network at 1-800-420-5805.

Describe specifically what you observed, including: who or what you saw; when you saw it; where it occurred; and why it’s suspicious.  

The reporting phone number must be monitored by an individual 24/7/365 to ensure any reported suspicious activity is handled immediately.

If there is an emergency, call 9-1-1.

Campaign Materials

The CACP’s “If You See Something, Say Something®” campaign can only be used in a counter-terrorism context. No other purpose or advertising campaign, such as safety, neighbourhood watch, crime-stoppers, or anti-theft messages, is authorized. Due to the copyright between NY MTA and CACP, all campaign materials must be created by CACP to ensure materials are cleared through the appropriate channels and maintain consistent messaging. The materials cannot be modified in any way due to trademark and licencing agreements with the NY MTA.

Partners have access to campaign outreach materials – Infographics and Public Service Announcements (PSAs) – developed for law enforcement and private sector entities and organizations. The campaign materials are available for partners to use on their websites and in training material.

Click here to view available campaign materials.