On FOX News CHANNEL:
Florida Citizens to Help Catch Terrorists
Thursday, July 15, 2004
MIAMI — Law enforcement officials in central Florida are planning to train cable repairmen, exterminators and apartment managers to report signs of terrorism inside their clients’ homes.
Supporters of the program say making private citizens the eyes and ears of the police will save lives.
But opponents, like the ACLU (search), call the plan “un-American” and say it’s a violation of privacy.
Operation TIPS (search), a similar program proposed by President Bush, was withdrawn in 2002 after critics said it would lead to racial profiling.
So far, 5,000 brochures detailing the Florida plan have been printed, and volunteers will be trained what to look for.
But Orange County officials stress that people who go through the training will be encouraged to only report what they see — not search for evidence.
(Story continues below)
Click on the video box at the top of this story to watch a report by FOX News' Steve Harrigan.
