Humanizing Rules

CHAPTER 12M IS FOR MANAGEABLE

See Something, Say Something

In 1984, a group of terrorists attempted to assassinate the UK Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher by bombing the hotel she was staying in. They failed, though tragically they did kill five other people. In a statement, the group said: “Today we were unlucky, but remember we only have to be lucky once. You will have to be lucky always.” It's a sobering thought.

One of the ways the police have responded to this dynamic is to rely on members of the public to act as their eyes and ears. By asking them to report suspicious activities or things that look out of place, there's a greater chance of preventing bad outcomes. The challenge that poses is that the average member of the public isn't a security expert, so won't always be able to tell what is a genuine threat and what isn't. They may also not want to feel like they are wasting police time on something that could have an innocent explanation. Which is why many police forces have introduced mechanisms designed to address this.

In the UK, there's “See It. Say It. Sorted”, a campaign that encourages members of the public to report things, no matter how insignificant, to a dedicated phone or text number. The word “sorted” is designed to provide a sense of closure; “if you report it to us, we'll take care of it” is the implied message. In the US, the equivalent of “See It. Say It. Sorted.” is “See Something, Say Something”. To support that, the authorities have also released ...