Branstad urges Iowans to report suspicious activity in wake of terror attacks

DES MOINES - Gov. Terry Branstad and state public safety officials are encouraging Iowans to speak up if they see something they think could be the sign of an impending terrorist or violent attack.

In the wake of a recent shooting in Orlando, Florida, that claimed 49 victims' lives and with the Fourth of July approaching, Branstad on Monday highlighted the federal 'See Something, Say Something” campaign that encourages people to notify law enforcement of suspicious activity.

The state's emphasis on the program will include radio public service announcements that will be broadcast statewide later this month, the governor's office said.

'The recent mass shooting in Orlando and other acts of violence that have occurred in the U.S. and abroad have left Iowans feeling nervous and uneasy,” Branstad said Monday at his weekly news conference. 'It is understandable that we sometimes feel fearful of this violence and want to prevent it from happening in our state. …

'That doesn't mean that we stop living our normal lives or live in fear. But we need to pay more attention. As individuals we can make a difference.”

Branstad said he receives a monthly intelligence briefing that includes potential threats and there are no specific threats being monitored by the state, including for the upcoming Fourth of July holiday.

Roxann Ryan, commissioner of the Iowa Department of Public Safety, also encouraged Iowans to report suspicious activity. As examples, she listed a person who talks in detail about shooting others, unattended vehicles in areas where they are seldom seen or a person seeking excessive information about a public place, among others.

'This is behavior that is observable and should be reported to law enforcement,” Ryan said. 'We may actually be able to prevent these tragic events from occurring in the first place.”

Ryan also said people should report suspicious activity based on behavior, not just a person's physical characteristics.

Branstad added that certain religious people, such as Muslims, should not be viewed suspiciously simply because of their religion.

But he also said the nation's 'biggest threat is from Islamic terrorism,” saying the terrorist group the Islamic State has encouraged its members and sympathizers to strike in areas with large public gatherings.

'Just because somebody goes to a particular mosque or whatever, that's not an issue,” Branstad said. 'The question is, are they making statements about, ‘We want to kill all these people that don't share our viewpoint,' which the person that committed this crime in Orlando did, which the people in San Bernardino (California) did, which the people in Boston did.

'You can go on and on and on connecting the dots, and you can see there's a common thread here. They are radicalized, and they are committed to committing some terrible act against Americans.”

The 'See Something, Say Something” campaign was first developed by the New York City Transportation Authority, and in 2010, it was adopted by the federal government.