Terrorism Awareness for Local Residents

The Security of our county depends greatly on resident involvement. No law enforcement agency can effectively protect life and property without the support and cooperation of the citizens it serves. The Richmond County Sheriff's Office and and the City of Augusta need your help to assist us in countering terrorism. We ask you be our eyes and ears. Terrorists are trained to blend in and assimilate to their surroundings. Most terrorist’s acts are well organized and well planned. Terrorists will conduct training, surveillance, and dry runs prior to the commission of a terrorist act. They like to strike at government and civilian targets in an effort to instill fear. Ironically, though the terrorist acts are an attempt to instill fear in you, it is you that the terrorist fears most. Reports can be made any time by dialing 9-1-1.

What to Do: To assist the Richmond County Sheriff's Office, please:

Remain alert and be aware of everyday activities in your neighborhood
Encourage the involvement of family, friends, and neighbors
Assume responsibility to observe and report activities that appear out of place or unusual
If you become aware of suspicious activity, record as many details as possible and notify the proper authorities

What Not to Do: For your own safety, please do not:

Take direct action
Confront the individual
Reveal your suspicions

Suspicious Activity

If you become aware of suspicious activity, please:

Record as many details as is possible
Notify the appropriate authorities as soon as possible

Event Descriptions

If you happen to notice possible terrorist activity, when reporting the event, please describe the following:

Who did I observe?
What specifically did I see?
Where did I observe the suspicious behavior?
When did I observe the suspicious behavior?
Why do I think the behavior is suspicious?

Improving Observation Skills

The following are ways to improve your observation skills:

Employ good listening skills
Do not let personal feelings interfere with the incident
Look at the entire situation before making a judgment
Watch for non-verbal communication signs
Use feedback to obtain and verify information or observations
Observe and report
Do not become personally involved

Reporting Suspicious Activities

Please report suspicious activities by calling 9-1-1.

The Georgia Terrorism Intelligence Project (GTIP)

The Georgia Terrorism Intelligence Project (GTIP) is an intelligence sharing project between state and local law enforcement agencies and GISAC. Established in 2004, GTIP has grown from eight original partner agencies to 21 funded partner agencies, including the Richmond County Sheriff's Office, and two non-funded partners covering more than 60 percent of the state’s population.

Through a web-based program called E-Team, GISAC and law enforcement agencies throughout the state virtually share and exchange terrorism tips and leads. E-Team also provides real-time incident management. GTIP has also increased the intelligence capabilities of partner law enforcement agencies by providing state-of-the-art equipment, access to commercial information database services, and advanced analytic training.

Currently, GISAC has partnered with the following agencies in this project:

Albany Police Department
Athens/Clarke County Police Department
Bibb County Sheriff’s Office
Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office
City of Atlanta Police Department
Clayton County Police Department
Cobb County Police Department
Columbus Police Department
DeKalb County Police Department
Fulton County Police Department
Georgia Bureau of Investigation
Georgia Department of Corrections
Gwinnett County Police Department
Hall County Sheriff’s Office
Henry County Police Department
Houston County Sheriff’s Office
Lowndes County Sheriff’s Office
Richmond County Sheriff’s Office
Savannah/Chatham County Police Department
Whitfield County Sheriff’s Office

Two additional non-funded partners

Atlanta FBI JTTF
Georgia Tech Police Department