Posted on 07/17/2002 9:09:29 AM PDT by NoLongerLurker
Operation TIPS, administered by the U.S. Department of Justice and developed in partnership with several other federal agencies, is one of the five component programs of the Citizen Corps. Operation TIPS will be a national system for reporting suspicious, and potentially terrorist-related activity. The program will involve the millions of American workers who, in the daily course of their work, are in a unique position to see potentially unusual or suspicious activity in public places.
The Department of Justice is discussing participation with several industry groups whose workers are ideally suited to help in the anti-terrorism effort because their routines allow them to recognize unusual events and have expressed a desire for a mechanism to report these events to authorities.
These workers will use their common sense and knowledge of their work environment to identify suspicious or unusual activity. This program offers a way for these workers to report what they see in public areas and along transportation routes.
All it will take to volunteer is a telephone or access to the Internet as tips can be reported on the toll-free hotline or online. Information received will be entered into the national database and referred electronically to a point of contact in each state as appropriate. This is not a national 911 center, and callers are expected to dial 911 for emergency local response.
Industries that are interested in participating in this program will be given printed guidance material, flyers and brochures, about the program and how to contact the Operation TIPS reporting center. This information can be distributed to workers or posted in common work areas. Operation TIPS is scheduled to be launched in late summer or early fall 2002. The goal of the program is to establish a reliable and comprehensive national system for reporting suspicious, and potentially terrorist-related, activity. By establishing one central reporting center, information from several different industries can be maintained in a single database. Operation TIPS will be phased in across the country to enable the system to build its capacity to receive an increasing volume of tips.
Yet another bludgeon for angry divorcees and feuding neighbors to beat each other with..
Oh Joy!
Here we have Ridge, in perhaps the most bold-faced lie I've seen in months, straight-faced telling us that 'we don't want Americans spying on Americans..."
UNBELIEVABLE! The COJONES of the guy to say that...
I get the feeling that if he were walking by a house that was engulfed in flames, and his friend said, "Look, Tom, that house is on fire!" Tom would glance over, and then, with a straight face, say, "Nah, that house isn't on fire..."
Yet, the Bush Bots (many of whom posted wildly on those afore mentioned threads), will twist and contort like squids trying to protect and defend Bush.
In the face of TIPS, the Patriot Act, CFR, Drapes on Statues, the refusal to release documents (something the people from the afore mentioned threads wanted Clinton strung up by his nuts for) still cling to their defences of Bush and Company, just like the Clintonistas did.
It's just amusing, when asked the question, "what would you be saying if it was Clinton and Reno pushing for the things that Bush and Ashcroft are pushing for now" They simply make some snide comment about whoever askes the question, declares them a Liberal DU plant, then goes on to praise Dubya some more.
The ones I really love are those who now say that it's Traiterous and Unpatriotic to criticise Bush, because he's the President.
Well, with the vagueness of the Patriot Act, the newly watchful eyes of Big Brother via the Bush created TIPS program, and the full, unquestioning blind support of the Bush Bots, I suppose it won't be long before saying anything against Bush, or Government in general, will be considered a crime.
I would be very interested in any/all of them commenting on TIPS as it already exists in an informal way.
What about the trucking industry? They have been at it for a while.
Also the harbor/port group(s)?
you've got that right! and when is the last time some liberty grabbing program was undone (as in not permanent)?
Don't try to define my position using your mindset or your ideological twists.
>There are only two distinct possiblilities:
>1. TIPS grants no new powers to authorities, and is a useless program.
2. TIPS grants new powers to authorities, and these new powers can (and will) be abused.
>So, which is it?
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