A new law enforcement initiative that launched today in Duval and a dozen other northeast Florida counties gives the public a bigger role in the fight against terrorism.
The iWatch initiative counts on people to be observant and to report anything that doesn’t look, smell or sound right.
Jacksonville Sheriff John Rutherford, who co-chairs the 13 county Regional Domestic Security Task Force, says the information gathering program lets authorities get out ahead of the danger.
"I do not want the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office to be the best first responder to a chemical, biological, nuclear or radiological event. I don't want to be the best first responder. I want to prevent it before it occurs and that is what intelligence is for."
Rutherford urges anyone who encounters something that makes them fell suspicious to report it online at iwatchjax.com. The website also provides information about the kinds of behaviors and activities that people should be on the lookout for.
