America's Waterway Watch

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We welcome your comments on postings at all Coast Guard sites/journals. Coast Guard to provide a forum to talk about our work providing maritime safety, security and stewardship for the American people to secure the homeland, save lives

and property, protect the environment, and promote economic prosperity. The information provided is for public information only and is not a distress communication channel. People in an emergency and in need of Coast Guard assistance should use VHF-FM Channel 16 (156.8 MHz), dial 911, or call their nearest Coast Guard unit. The Coast Guard retains the discretion to determine which comments it will post and which it will not. We expect all contributors to be respectful. We will not post comments that contain personal attacks of any kind; refer to Coast Guard or other employees by name; contain offensive terms that target specific ethnic or racial groups, or contain vulgar language. We will also not post comments that are spam, are clearly off topic, or that promote services or products. Coast Guard disclaims any liability for any loss or damage resulting from any comments posted on this page. This forum may not be used for the submission of any claim, demand, informal or formal complaint, or any other form of legal and/or administrative notice or process, or for the exhaustion of any legal and/or administrative remedy. If you have specific questions regarding a U.S. Coast Guard program that involves details you do not wish to share publicly please contact the program point of contact listed at http://www.uscg.mil/global/mail/

Kevin Lunday named the Acting USCG Commandant.Meet our new COMMANDANT.
01/23/2025

Kevin Lunday named the Acting USCG Commandant.

Meet our new COMMANDANT.

Kevin Eugene Lunday (born October 12, 1965)[1] is a United States Coast Guard admiral who has served as the acting commandant of the Coast Guard since 21 January 2025 and as the 34th vice commandant of the Coast Guard since 13 June 2024. He previously served as commander of the Coast Guard Atlantic....

Homeland Security officials have removed Adm. Linda Fagan from her role as the Coast Guard’s commandant, according to a ...
01/22/2025

Homeland Security officials have removed Adm. Linda Fagan from her role as the Coast Guard’s commandant, according to a note sent to service members — the first firing of a top military officer under the Trump administration.

Acting Homeland Security Secretary Benjamin Huffman, in his message, said Fagan had been relieved and Adm. Kevin E. Lunday would become the service’s acting commandant.

Adm. Linda Fagan is the first top military officer to be terminated under the new administration.

01/11/2025

US INDOPACOM ANNOUNCES STRATEGIC SHIFT FROM DETERRENCE TO DECISIVE ACTION IN RESPONSE TO AGGRESSION AGAINST US FORCES AND ALLIES

Under Admiral Samuel Paparo, US Indo-Pacific Command (INDOPACOM) has adopted a strategic directive focused on “prevailing,” which stresses heightened readiness and the capability to counter and defend against adversaries in the Indo-Pacific. This new strategy moves beyond integrated deterrence, emphasizing the need for US forces to be prepared to decisively win any conflict, particularly in light of the increasing threat from China.

INDOPACOM refined this approach by prioritizing the strengthening of joint US forces’ lethality, improving readiness to swiftly address and win any crisis or conflict, and fostering interoperability with allies and partners. The “prevail” directive ensures that the US and its allies are not only prepared to deter aggression but also capable of responding decisively to any regional challenge.

This afternoon, President Biden convened Senior White House and Administration officials, including Vice President Kamal...
01/10/2025

This afternoon, President Biden convened Senior White House and Administration officials, including Vice President Kamala Harris and officials from FEMA, the EPA, the Department of Defense, and more, for a briefing on the full federal response he has directed to the wildfires across Los Angeles. *What a bad (response????)

This afternoon, President Biden convened Senior White House and Administration officials, including Vice President Kamala Harris and officials from FEMA, the EPA, the Department of Defense, and more, for a briefing on the full federal response he has directed to the wildfires across Los Angeles.

01/06/2025

America's Waterway Watch

01/06/2025

A King County Sheriff's Helicopter performed a rescue demonstration using a new rescue platform before a group of attendees at this year's Maritime Security West Conference in Tacoma WA. on August 18th, 2014. More information at: http://maritimesecuritywest.com/ Seattle Fire Department with the support of King County Sheriff's Office, and Tacoma Fire Dept. will be conducting an on-water rescue demonstration using the AirTEP (airborne tactical extrication platform) system from the King County Sheriff's Office rescue helicopter. This is not a common rescue demonstration and should not be missed. There only 6 known agencies in the US that

01/06/2025

Where Should I Look for "Suspicious Activity"?

Watch for suspicious activities of vessels and individuals in locations such as:
•Under and around bridges, tunnels, or overpasses
•Near commercial areas or services like ports, fuel docks, cruise ships, or marinas.
•Near industrial facilities like power plants and oil, chemical, or water intake facilities.
•Near military bases and vessels, other government facilities, or security zones
•In and around passenger terminals, ferries, and day cruise lines
•Near railroad lines serving any of the above listed facilities.

You are NOT expected to patrol any particular area. Your expertise in recognizing suspicious activity is derived from your familiarity with surroundings you operate within while engaged in your normal work or recreation around the waterfront.

What is Suspicious Activity?

What do we mean by suspicious activity? Suspicious Activity is a pattern of behavior that arouses a "gut feeling" that something is not right. Trust your intuition, but remember it is the behavior of individuals that is suspicious, not their ethnic, religious, or national origin. For example, suppose you see people of an obviously different ethnic or national background fishing off a pier or near a secure facility. The mere fact that they are "different" is not important. People fishing near the water by itself is obviously not a suspicious activity. In fact, if they weren't fishing that might be a trigger to alert you they were engaging in Suspicious Activity.

Keeping in mind that "People aren't suspicious, behavior is," here are some situational examples of behaviors and activities that may help you determine what is suspicious and, thus, what should be reported:

Unusual Operation of a Small Boat, Accompanied by Videotaping/Still Photography

You observe a boat being operated aimlessly (with no apparent destination). The boat is occupied by three young to middle-aged people -- not a "family" as usually seen cruising these waters. A little while later you see the same boat, this time with two occupants, and it's movement is repetitive. It circles around bridge abutments for a while, and makes several passes alongside a shore side power plant, moored commercial vessels, and a ferry passenger terminal. You notice that the passenger is taking still and video pictures of the facilities. Later, you observe the boat picking up the third person from a public dock near the bridge. He boards the boat carrying a video camera and a notebook. These actions could indicate initial surveillance of a potential target and subsequent attack.

People Taking Still Photographs or Videotaping from the Shore

A white mid-sized four-door sedan pulls into a "view" area near a railway bridge, drops off two passengers, and departs. One of the passengers begins taking video pictures of the bridge, as well as a commuter train and a long freight train, which, headed in opposite directions, pass each other on the bridge about 15 minutes later. (As a frequent and long-time marina worker, you know this happens every weekday throughout the year). The second person appears to be taking notes, and occasionally glances at his left wrist as if checking a watch.

You continue down river, returning to your home marina just a quarter mile South. As you pull into the service dock, you notice what appears to be the same white sedan parked at water's edge in the marina parking lot. The driver is outside the car, and is in the process of packing a large video camera into its storage case. A few minutes later, he gets into his vehicle and drives away. People photographing or videotaping potential terrorist targets are engaged in activities that should be considered suspicious.

Person Running Away/Fleeing

You notice a person running away from an area close to a secure facility. Some questions should come to mind: Does this person's behavior or dress indicate he is more than the usual jogger? Does he appear to be someone just in a hurry, or does his running have a heightened sense of urgency or tension about it? It would be suspicious if he were looking about furtively, as if he were concerned about being observed or pursued.

Person(s) Engaged in Surveillance

You work in a business in the immediate vicinity of a ferry terminal, and you ride the ferry to and from work everyday. One day you observe a particular person taking pictures of the shore side -- unusual for people riding the ferry during "commute time." While at work you notice the same person board a ferry to a different destination, and return a few hours later. The next day you see the same person loitering around the terminal as passengers pass through security while boarding ferries -- at one point the person joins a group lining up to board a ferry, takes some pictures, but leaves the group without boarding. During the day you see this person making two round-trip ferry rides -- once wearing a large backpack, and once carrying a oversized briefcase. Over several days you notice the same person engaged in varied activity, at different times, all in the vicinity of the ferry terminal.

Could the activity be completely innocent and explainable? Of course. Could the person be engaged in surveillance in preparation for a terrorist attack? Perhaps. Is the behavior suspicious enough to report? Yes!

Person(s) Asking Unusual Questions

While you are working on a customer's boat, a stranger approaches you and strikes up a conversation. She says she is interested in renting dock space for her boat at the marina, and says, "I guess my boat will be pretty secure here since it's very close to the power plant across the bay, and I'm sure the area is heavily patrolled by the Coast Guard and police." She then presses you for more details about the type of land and water patrols, their frequency and their scheduling. The person may be asking legitimate questions, but may also be gathering information for a potential terrorist attack.

Suspicious Conditions -- Physical Breaches of Security

A chain link security fence topped by barbed wire has been erected around the abutments of a bridge you pass by every day. One day you notice that there is a large hole in the fence, large enough to allow a person to climb through. Even though you don't observe either anyone in the area or any object placed inside the fence, you are aware that the hole is large enough for an adult to crawl through.

Several hundred feet down the road, you also notice a car or truck parked in an unusual place -- very close to another security fence at a waterfront shipping facility. The vehicle could be used as a platform for terrorists or criminals to facilitate climbing over the fence to gain access to the secured area.

Both of these are suspicious conditions and physical breaches of security that should be reported, so the fence can be repaired and the vehicle moved.

Person Renting a Boat -- Examine the Totality of Conduct

You work at a business that rents small boats by the hour. In the process of renting a boat for the day "to do some fishing," two men ask about the "best fishing spots" on the bay and, pointing in the direction of the Navy Base to the north, ask if that might not be a good place to fish. You tell them, "No, the best fishing is in the South Bay area." They fill out the paperwork, and pay you the required deposit and "full day" rate with a credit card. Neither of them seems all that interested in the terms of the contract, nor in the fact that they are not entitled to a partial refund if they return before the end of the day. You then help them load the boat with obviously brand-new fishing equipment and two large coolers, and take the time to remind them, "It might be a good idea to buy some bait." After you check them out on operation of the boat, they leave the dock and head north in the direction of the Navy Base. The whole situation starts to seem strange to you, including the fact that the person's recently-issued drivers license provided as proof of identity, the bank credit card used for payment, and the license plate on their vehicle were from three different states. Individually, each of the oddities in this situation do not rise to the level of "suspicious behavior," but when viewed in their totality they do.

Identifying Suspicious Activity

Identifying suspicious activity starts with understanding the steps a terrorist group takes to plan an attack. The acronym SETS will help you understand the basic steps and indicators.

SURVEILLANCE involves photographing, videotaping, drawing and/or mapping or other means of monitoring a potential target. (Types of surveillance include fixed, mobile, progressive, creative, overt and covert.)

ELICITATION involves asking detailed questions in an attempt to gain knowledge of hidden or proprietary information. Things to keep in mind:

Listen carefully when engaged in a conversation with a stranger. When they begin to ask or inquire about guarded information you may be involved in, you can suspect that elicitation is being used. Remember, the conversation may seem totally innocent.

Avoid becoming a victim of elicitation by sharing proprietary, classified or guarded information only with those that possess a need to know; without exception. If you suspect that you are being targeted, simply reply to the elicitor's questions with an inquiring question of your own.

TESTS OF SECURITY are a tools used to develop timelines of authoritative response to a particular incident or occurrence. Staging an incident can be done to determine access vulnerability and/or establish a timeline for later use. Examples include (but are not limited to):
•Bomb threats
•Small fires (trash can/dumpster)
•Abandoned packages

A test of security is likely to occur in close proximity of a potential target or an integral component in the plan to attack a potential target.

SUSPICIOUS BEHAVIOR is displayed behavior that is out of place or out of character with the environment. Behavior is the key enabler. What activity is the person(s) engaging in that is out of place with the immediate environment (their surroundings)? If the activity is out of character, then that activity may be considered suspicious.

Remember, People are not Suspicious, Behavior is!

Pictures by Robert Lyden

http://americaswaterwaywatch.uscg.mil/Suspicious_Activity.html

01/06/2025

Ferry Security Exercise, Pierce County Ferry, Steilacoom WA. .
Ferry Security :
A look back: MARITIME SECURITY Ferry Security Measures Have Been Implemented, but Evaluating Existing Studies Could Further Enhance Security
http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d11207.pdf
Ferry Security Training Exercise involving USCG, US Customs and Border Patrol, and Local Police Department Personnel, and Vessels. Exercise held in Steilacoom WA. Pictures by Robert Lyden

Ferry Security Exercise, Pierce County Ferry, Steilacoom WA. .Ferry Security :A look back: MARITIME SECURITY Ferry Secur...
01/06/2025

Ferry Security Exercise, Pierce County Ferry, Steilacoom WA. .
Ferry Security :
A look back: MARITIME SECURITY Ferry Security Measures Have Been Implemented, but Evaluating Existing Studies Could Further Enhance Security
http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d11207.pdf
Ferry Security Training Exercise involving USCG, US Customs and Border Patrol, and Local Police Department Personnel, and Vessels. Exercise held in Steilacoom WA. Pictures by Robert Lyden

01/06/2025

------------------------------------------------------------
A LOOK BACK.

Ferry Security Exercise, Pierce County Ferry, Steilacoom WA. .
Ferry Security :
A look back: MARITIME SECURITY Ferry Security Measures Have Been Implemented, but Evaluating Existing Studies Could Further Enhance Security
http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d11207.pdf
Ferry Security Training Exercise involving USCG, US Customs and Border Patrol, and Local Police Department Personnel, and Vessels. Exercise held in Steilacoom WA. Pictures by Robert Lyden

https://www.facebook.com/search/top/?q=steilacoom%20wa%2C%20training

Avoid swimming in marinas or areas with shore-powered boats—stray electricity in the water can lead to dangerous shock h...
01/05/2025

Avoid swimming in marinas or areas with shore-powered boats—stray electricity in the water can lead to dangerous shock hazards.

All reactions:6U.S. Coast Guard Southeast and 5 others
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Avoid swimming in marinas or areas with shore-powered boats—stray electricity in the water can lead to dangerous shock hazards.

01/05/2025

See Something, Say Something.
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The U.S.Department of Homeland Security has designated today as national “If You See Something, Say Something®” awareness day. Here in Tennessee, our deparment along with the Tennessee Fusion Center (TFC) would like to reiterate the importance of state, local, and federal law enforcement and homeland security partnerships in fighting terrorism and keeping our communities safe. If you see something unusual, suspicious and/or criminal activities, report it to local law enforcement right away. You can also make a report online, https://www.tn.gov/.../report-suspicious-activity.html . We value your tips and information. You CAN make a difference!

I worked on a case involving six (6) US Citizen's which took place in Belize. They were attacked while on a Sailboat one...
01/05/2025

I worked on a case involving six (6) US Citizen's which took place in Belize. They were attacked while on a Sailboat one night by four Pirates. a Very Violent attack. I worked with the USCG Southern Command, and the US Embassy in Belieze. After this attacking the USCG and Canada worked together and built this new Joint Operations Center. (Robert Lyden USCG (AUX) DSO District 13.)

For the latest news across Belize, visit:http://edition.channel5belize.com/

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