If You See Something Suspicious, Say Something to Local Law Enforcement

The information contained in this article is not intended as legal advice and may no longer be accurate due to changes in the law. Consult NHMA's legal services or your municipal attorney.

New Hampshire Homeland Security and Emergency Management (HSEM) encourages local, state and federal agencies to work together to create safer communities by promoting “If You See Something, Say Something,”™ a campaign used to raise awareness of what suspicious activity is and how to report it.

“It’s up to each of us to do our part to keep our state safe,” HSEM Director Perry Plummer said. “The people who know best when something doesn’t seem quite right in a community are the people who live and breathe in that community every day. That’s why we’re asking everyone to report suspicious activity to local law enforcement or to 911.”

It is important to know what to report, he said. Suspicious activity is behavior that you have observed that could indicate terrorism or terrorism-related activity, including unusual items or situations such as an unattended bag, unusual behavior such as a person asking questions about building security or procedures, or surveillance such as a person paying unusual attention to a building, Plummer said.

Importantly, the “If You See Something, Say Something™” campaign emphasizes behavior, not appearance, in identifying suspicious activity, he said.

To report suspicious activity, contact your local law enforcement or 911. Tell them who or what you saw, when you saw it, where it occurred, and why it was suspicious.

If you would like printed materials to help promote “If You See Something, Say Something™” in your town or city, please contact HSEM Assistant Director Jennifer Harper at Jennifer.Harper@dos.nh.gov or 223-3615.