Monitoring America

5 revelations from the Post’s ‘Monitoring America’ investigation

By Liz Goodwin

The FBI's Nationwide Suspicious Activity Reporting Initiative, or SAR, currently contains 161,948 suspicious activity files, into which authorities can put information they've gathered about the people at the center of the files: employment history, financial documents, phone numbers, photos. In many cases, the people in the files have not been accused of any crime but have attracted the suspicions of a local cop, FBI agent or even fellow citizen. The files have led to five arrests but no convictions, the FBI says. Some of the files are unclassified so that local police agencies and even businesses can submit reports on anyone they deem suspicious. Complete story here

161,948 files on "suspicious activity" My first thoughts were that the number is most likely very low and what constitutes their idea of suspicious activity. I seem to remember that when countries start making lists people usually end up missing or dead after a while but it is usually preceded with harassment, intimidation, reduced freedom or subjectication. Remember folks it's for our safety, but I would ask who is scared of who?

Prepology