thelog.com Keeping watch
Harbor Island in the San Diego Bay. The San Diego Harbor Police, which is headquartered on Harbor Island, is hoping its iWatch My Bay program will help activate the local maritime community to work with law enforcement to help keep tabs on possible criminal or terror- ist activities.
information sharing between law enforce- ment officials, harbor and marina operators, and the general public,
San Diego Harbor Police offi- cially host first iWatch meeting.
By Parimal M. Rohit
SAN DIEGO — About one dozen repre- sentatives from marinas and yacht clubs in Coronado and San Diego attended the first-ever iWatch My Bay – or iWatch – meeting Sept. 10 at Harbor Police Department headquarters. Attendees discussed how members of the maritime community could partner with law enforcement to track suspicious criminal activity, including property theft, drug smuggling and potential acts of terrorism. Guided by a goal to raise awareness of potential terrorist acts and engage in
iWatch operates as a neighborhood watch system involving yacht clubs, marinas and harbor police where par- ticipants report suspicious activity or behavior to local law enforcement. The Department of Homeland Security has a similar program in place called “If You See Something, Say Something.” The San Diego Harbor Police
Department plans to have quarterly meetings with interested parties to keep tabs on criminal acts in and around waterways and keep abreast on potential illegal activities that may occur in local waterways. Harbor Police Capt. Mark
Stainbrook said the intent of the iWatch program is to “raise community awareness of terrorism” and “get out some information” of potentially sus- picious activities.
Stainbrook added federal and law
enforcement officials studied the respective behavior of individuals affil- iated with large scale criminal activity – such as the 9/11 attacks in New York City and Washington, D.C. – and have been able to come up with a list of potentially predictive actions. Those predictive actions or possible indicators have been incorporated as part of the iWatch program to help assess whether a potential terrorist activity could be developing. Those indicators include: hostile surveillance of security cameras or checkpoints; trespassers in secure areas; strangers asking questions about police patrols or security procedures; individuals purchasing supplies that could be used to make a bomb or weapon; and, smells or fumes inconsistent with scents usually found in marinas or the sea.
Other criminal activity common in
marinas and harbors include drug smuggling, human trafficking, as well as property theft or damage. According to the Harbor Police, sus- picious activity is defined as “a pattern of behavior that … may be perceived to be out of the ordinary” and could potentially result in criminal activity. Corp. Wayne Schmidt of the San
Diego Harbor Police said the iWatch program is “essentially looking for community assistance to help be the eyes and ears” at local marinas and other maritime venues. “You know who belongs in your
The Log • Sept. 26 - Oct. 9, 2014 • 3
marina and who doesn’t,” Schmidt said, adding community reporting of suspicious behavior is essential to crime prevention or disruption in San Diego’s waterways. In addition to marina operators and yacht clubs, Harbor Police hopes to eventually work with oceanfront busi- nesses and residents to keep a pulse on possible criminal or terrorist activities occurring at maritime venues. San Diego Bay, located approxi- mately 8 miles north of the California- Mexico border, is home to what the federal government considers a strate- gic port. There are 14 strategic ports in the
United States that are designated by the federal government as essential links to military logistics overseas. San Diego is not only a city with strong military connections but also home to a major metropolis with a thriving biotech industry and tourism market. Accordingly, San Diego’s waterways serve as a possible avenue and entry- way for criminal or terrorist activity. Stainbrook added the iWatch pro-
gram aims to partner his department with marinas and yacht clubs to moni- tor potential all types of potential criminal activity. The iWatch program is an initiative
of the Unified Port of San Diego, which is jointly governed by representatives from the cities of Chula Vista, Coronado, Imperial Beach, National City and San Diego.
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Parimal M. Rohit photo
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