Coast Guard program asks boaters to help guard waterways

By Robert Nolin |South Florida Sun-Sentinel

November 3, 2008

If you're a boater, fisherman, marina operator or otherwise live, work or enjoy America's waterways, the government wants you to keep an eye peeled — for waterborne terrorists.

Under a program called America's Waterway Watch, the Coast Guard asks mariners to utilize their "local knowledge" to spot suspicious activity that could denote a possible terrorist attack. Those who do notice something unusual are asked to call a special number to report what they saw.

"There's no way we can watch all of our waterways, our shoreline," said Joel Aberbach, a civilian volunteer with the Coast Guard in Miami who helped craft the program. "We need all of the eyes and ears that we can get."

The Coast Guard asks boaters familiar with area waters to be alert for suspicious activity: boats anchored in areas not usually used for anchoring, odd diving activity, people engaged in surveillance-type actions, people seeking to rent boats or personal watercraft for unspecified use, and people recovering or tossing items into the water or on the shore.

"They're not spies, they're not our agents, they're just people doing the same thing they did during the early part of the Second World War," Aberbach said. "You don't have to prove anything, you don't have to document anything, just tell us what you see." The call can be anonymous.

The program was started in South Florida just weeks after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks under the name Operation On Guard. In 2004, it was expanded nationally and renamed.

"I lot of people don't realize they can be part of the eyes and ears of Homeland Security," said John Fiore, a Broward County associate planner, who recently heard of the program.

"It needs more publicity, it needs more exposure," Aberbach said.

To help raise awareness, Fiore is having three pages of the county's annual Boating Guide, released in October, dedicated to the waterway watch project.

Mariners at area boat ramps said they hadn't heard of the program but heartily endorsed it. "Combating terrorism is everybody's concern," said boater Joe Gerardo, 47, of Fort Lauderdale. "If I saw something clear-cut terrorism related, I would call it in, certainly."

Boaters noticing suspicious activity may call 800-424-8802, or, if the situation appears urgent, 911. Information is available at www.americaswaterwaywatch.org.

Robert Nolin can be reached at rnolin@sunsentinel.com or 954-356-4525.

source: sun sentinal

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