• To Report Suspicious Activity: Call the National Response Center at 877-24WATCH If there is immediate danger to life or property, call 911 or call the Coast Guard on Marine Channel 16

  What "Suspicious Activity" Should I Look For?

  Though you are the person best suited to identify a behavior or activity as "suspicious" in the area you're most familiar with, the following list contains some issues you may want to consider in making such a determination:

  • People appearing to be engaged in surveillance of any kind (note taking, shooting video/photos, making sketches, or asking questions).
  • Unattended vessels or vehicles in unusual locations.
  • Lights flashing between boats.
  • Unusual diving activity.
  • Unusual number of people onboard.
  • Unusual night operations.
  • Recovering or tossing items into/onto the waterway or shoreline.
  • Operating in or passing through an area that does not typically have such activity.
  • Fishing/hunting in locations not typically used for those activities.
  • Missing fencing or lighting near sensitive locations.
  • Anchoring in an area not typically used for anchorage.
  • Transfer of people or things between ships or between ship and shore outside of port.
  • Anyone operating in an aggressive manner.
  • Individuals establishing businesses or roadside food stands near sensitive locations.
  • Small planes flying over critical locations.
  • People attempting to buy or rent fishing or recreational vessels with cash for short-term, undefined use.

AMERICA'S WATERWAY WATCH PROGRAM

IF YOU SUSPECT ANY TERRORIST ACTIVITY
Call the National Response Line at
800-424-8802 or 877-24WATCH
For Immediate danger to life or property call 911

As a person who spends much of your time on or near the water, you already know what is normal and what is not, and you are well suited to notice suspicious activities - activities possibly indicating threats to our nation's homeland security. And as a participant in America's Waterway Watch we urge you to adopt a heightened sense of sensitivity toward unusual events or individuals you may encounter in or around ports, docks, marinas, riversides, beaches, or waterfront communities.

You should always remember that people are not suspicious, behavior is. And if you observe suspicious behavior or activity, you should simply note the details and contact local law enforcement. You are not expected to approach or challenge anyone acting in a suspicious manner.

America's Waterway Watch is a public outreach program, encouraging participants to simply report suspicious activity to the Coast Guard and/or other law enforcement agencies. Unlike some Neighborhood Watch programs, for example, you are not formally joining an organization -- there are no meetings, membership cards or membership requirements -- and you do not become an agent of the Coast Guard or any other law enforcement agency.

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