Suspicious People
Suspicious people can generally be categorized by their actions, their appearance, or their belongings.
RED FLAGS
What are some of the red flags that make an individual suspicious and worthy of further scrutiny? The list is endless, but the following are the most common warnings that should set off your security antenna.
The first sign is inappropriate clothing, such as a winter coat being worn in the heat of the summer or a man wearing a suit when everyone else is in casual attire. Bizarre or unsuitable clothing is often the most obvious tell that the person may be a security threat.
The next sign consists of behavioral characteristics, including but not limited to the following:
•Fidgeting. This could include nervous movement of the hands or feet. Keep your eyes on this person and engage him.
•Sweating excessively for the situation. For example, you should keep your eye on anyone sweating profusely even though the temperature is not hot enough and his activity is not strenuous enough to produce that much perspiration. Nervous tension makes people sweat.
•Refusing to make eye contact. This is a telltale behavioral sign in people who are ashamed of their actions or are afraid of attracting attention to themselves.
•Pacing frenetically. This is common in people too amped up to calm down. This is a typical sign that something is about to happen.
•Repeatedly looking at a watch or cell phone. This could indicate that the person is nervously waiting for a certain time or signal to act.
•Communicating secretly with another person in the area. This could help you identify two terrorists planning an act of violence. In the case of a suicide bombing, this might mean that one terrorist has the actual bomb on his person and the other is there to remotely detonate the bomb if the first person is reluctant to set it off or is caught by the authorities.
•Appearing to be in a trance. Anyone who is walking around or sitting in an apparent daze could be so brainwashed to carry out his mission that he is no longer able to engage in normal dialogue or respond to any type of interaction. Keep your eyes on a person displaying this behavior.
The final indication of a suspicious person is the presence of inappropriate belongings, such as a suitcase at a park, a large electronic device in a movie theater, or a child's backpack on an adult who is unaccompanied by a child. Terrorists often choose to leave a child's backpack in a public place because it appears more innocent.
If you encounter a suspicious person, it is important to survey the scene thoroughly and think outside the box. Try to enter the mind of the attacker and think like a person who is planning an attack on your facility or client. If you see a male coming out of the women's bathroom, this is suspicious from a security perspective, so find out why he was in the wrong rest room.
Keep your head down and keep the faith,
Reno
