Operation TIPS

Federal Government ^

[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.

[NoLongerLurker]

You're right about the confusion TIPS will cause. Most entries will never be followed up. But every entry will be in your records both in Washington and locally, and kept forever. And you won't be aware of it or be allowed to check your record. Wait until you or your son needs a security clearance.

If any aspect of this program had been mentioned while Clinton was President, every Freeper would be going apesh!t.

Just remember these three terrifying words: President Hillary Clinton. One day there will be a power-hungry Democrat President, and all of the police state type powers now being given to President Bush will be available to that person.

[nanny]

That was my thoughts exactly.

[weikel]

Its just stating a fact Im really not concerned with the emotional impact( Im a conservative not some "feel good" liberal).

[Consort]

You seem readily available to trade liberty for perceived security. Not the actions of one who loves liberty and freedom.

People who love freedom and liberty don't get involved in programs like TIPS and they are omitted from certain groups and certain government entities that have dubious intentions. As a result, the people who love freedom and liberty are the victims of these groups — they are on the outside and not inside to exert influence and offer opposition. This stuff isn't going away just because we oppose it and will not be part of it. It will continue to get worse because we are not a part of it.

[freeeee]

Just remember these three terrifying words: President Hillary Clinton.

I don't know why everyone says it could only be a democratic president who would abuse these powers.

Just imagine what ol' 'Tricky Dick' Nixon and his buddy J. Edgar Hoover would have done with this.

[Consort]

Again, it's all happening without TIPS.

[weikel]

That is true but I could never ever become a permanent rat for a gestapo. I'd rather die at their hands.

[weikel]

During Nixon's time there was an actual communist conspiracy to overthrow and infiltrate the government( the overthrow failed the infiltrate part succeeded). Nixon has a good excuse for the liberal things he did that Pres Bush doesn't have 3 words "veto proof margin". I like Nixon personally.

[Phantom Lord]

This program should have no one in it. It should be ended before it starts.

[E Rocc]

soon have children informing on their parents Ever heard of the DARE program?

Many people haven't, outside the name and the ostensible purpose. DARE discourages the programees....errr....students from discussing the program with grownups, despite the fact that it is legally considered psychiatric treatment, which by federal law requires positive parental consent.

-Eric

[freeeee]

it's all happening without TIPS

Then why the need for the new program?

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?

[Consort]

I'd rather die at their hands.

The Conservative Death Wish in a nutshell. No wonder some call us "wingnuts".

[E Rocc]

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.

"Citizen Corps". It gets worse. Did someone like Magaw or one of the other JBTs start dropping copies of a basic guide to fascism around DC, hoping that some concepts caught on?

-Eric

[Protagoras]

Add to that the Third National hanging in my home office

Third National? What is that?

[NoLongerLurker]

In the TIPS program, no one gets to see what is in their record. Your pissed off neighbor could tell the local TIPS/Gestapo that you are growing marijuana in your basement (you're not), and your house gets raided with everyone in the neighborhood looking on.

[Lord_Baltar]

To borrow from a previous Thread, the more appropriote title for this travesty is:

Special Human Intelligence Team

And of course, all this is being brought to us by:

Dubya Is Proposing Special Human Intelligence Team

Bottom line, we know this is supported by:

Bush's Unquestioning Lickspittle Lunatics Special Human Intelligence Team...

[weikel]

I will not join TIPs for the same reason I will not become a lawyer I have some principles( Ive been advised that I'd make a great lawyer by many who have known me).

[down the rabbit hole]

Nazis used informants. East Germany used informants. The Soviet Union used informants. And now America is going the same way? I see. Bush and company are turning this into a Fascist State! And if you support this, you are supporting Fascism, pure and simple.

Understand one thing. When this happens it will become permanent. This is not temporary.

DO YOU WANT TO LIVE IN A FASCIST STATE?

[NoLongerLurker]

This program should have no one in it. It should be ended before it starts

You are too late. It starts next month in ten cities.

Welcome to the Bush/Ashcroft "Brave New World".

[End Times Sentinel]

every entry will be in your records both in Washington and locally, and kept forever. And you won't be aware of it or be allowed to check your record.

Maybe. Just from my experience, I spend hours upon hours each day plumbing a database that’s accuracy is greater than 99.7% (which in the industry I’m in is pretty exceptional). The .3% of pollution in the database makes it barely workable (and thus Owl_Eagle maintains gainful employment).

When I try to imagine a database populated by 4% of the citizens of the U.S. well, I can’t imagine it being anything more than a garbled mass. I can’t see any scenario where it would have any credibility. Certainly the agents of whatever intelligence agency would look up there own personal records and be surprised to see that they’ve been turned in for trafficking body parts or communicating with aliens or whatever other bizarre reports that will populate this DB.

One request though, NLL, can we lay off the obscenity (President H*ll*ry Cl*nt*n) [/SHUDDER].

Owl_Eagle

”Guns Before Butter.”