Janet Napolitano, secretary of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has announced that retailing giant Walmart has joined the agency's "If You See Something, Say Something" campaign.

The program, notes the DHS [1], "Is a simple and effective [way] to engage the public and key frontline employees to identify and report indicators of terrorism, crime, and other threats to the proper transportation and law enforcement authorities."

The DHS reports that aproximately 230 Walmart branches have launched the campaign and nearly 600 will do so in the near future. At the locations already participating, a short video message from Napolitano is presented at some store checkout stations. Napolitano's message reminds customers to watch for and promptly report to law enforcement any suspicious activity in the stores or parking lots.

The campaign was originally implimented by New York City's Metropolitan Transportation Authority. Other partners include the Mall of America, Amtrak, and the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority.

According to the DHS, "In coming months, the department will continue to expand the...campaign nationally with public education materials and outreach tools designed to help America's businesses, communities, and citizens remain vigilant and play an active role in keeping the country safe."

♦ Photo by mjb84/Flickr [2]

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