Most Americans are familiar with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s “If You See Something, Say Something™” public awareness campaign. Transit hubs, sporting venues, tourist attractions, and a range of other spaces throughout the country rely on this slogan to encourage members of the public to increase awareness of their surroundings and report suspicious activities and scenarios. Here are 5 facts about the program that you didn’t know:
- The slogan was originally written by New York based advertising agency, Korey Kay & Partners.
- In 2002, the New York City Metropolitan Transportation Authority conducted focus group testing of a number of safety slogans, including “Be Suspicious of Things That Look Suspicious” and “If You See a Package Without a Person, Don’t Keep It to Yourself”. “If You See Something, Say Something™” won out, and the NYC MTA began to push the campaign in the subway and bus systems.
- The slogan began to spread throughout the country, and went viral by 2008, reaching numerous cities, universities, media outlets, and more.
- In 2010, the Department of Homeland Security licensed the slogan from the MTA and created a national campaign. The campaign was launched in conjunction with the U.S. Department of Justice’s nationwide Suspicious Activity reporting Initiative.
- DHS has partnerships with many entities to increase awareness and coverage of their “If You See Something, Say Something™” campaign, including the NFL. You can learn more about how to become a partner here.
Public participation is at the crux of this safety campaign. Remember the campaign is more than just a slogan. By reporting a suspicious package or activities, you can save lives.