PrintOctober 4, 2009
I'll be watching you...
A new and improved version of Neighborhood Watch called iWatch was recently rolled out by its founders, Chief Bratton and Commander Joan McNamara of the Los Angeles Police Department. The site provides information to citizens regarding the tell tale signs of terrorism. IWatch provides a whole conglomeration of public material, from meetings and brochures, to a website, and even a toll free number to report suspicious activity.
Just a few of the things iWatch is interested in are, someone wearing clothes that are too big, or overboard for the season, say a trenchcoat or bulky jacket in July; and the smell of chemicals or other strange fumes that seem out of place, or seeing someone purchasing supplies and other things that could be used to make a bomb.
All in all, not a bad plan or idea, but let's look at this from the practical, man on the street, sandals on the pavement aspect of this.
Clothes that are too big and bulky? In Los Angeles? Most of the gang members fit this description, in their Hip-Hop clothes and prison wear.
Fumes, strange and chemical smelling? In California? In Los Angeles?
Meth lab. Not bomb factory.
Someone purchasing supplies and other things used to make a bomb... now, how is the untrained citizen going to know what these things are? Other than the somewhat stereotype "fertilizer bomb" (ANFO -Ammonium Nitrate / Fuel Oil) that is always in the news, or black powder / gun powder type pipe bombs, what is it the normal Los Angelino should look for?
Having lived in various locations in Sunny California, I can tell you that strange smells of chemicals, people dressing oddly, and supplies for bombs are all over the state, and not just being employed in the manner and intent that iWatch would like to locate.
Maybe if California tried a bit harder to deal with the problems it has with illegal immigrants, the hemorrhagic social spending, confiscatory taxes and fees which drive out business, they could see their way to a better situation.
If I were going to watch something in California, it would be what the state Democrats are up to, and what their federal arms, Pelosi, Boxer, and Feinstein, have planned.
