A man walks into a scuba shop and asks to buy a dozen diver propulsion vehicles without saying what they’re for, or apparently knowing much about the sport of diving. A woman shows up repeatedly at a feed store with unusually large orders for fertilizer, a potential component for a homemade bomb. Suspicious business owners now have a new communication network, “BusinessSafe,” to report their concerns to the proper authorities, reports the Tallahassee Democrat.
“We needed a mechanism to keep our members of the private sector in the security loop,” said Florida Department of Law Enforcement Commissioner Gerald Bailey. Bailey unveiled the network at FDLE headquarters, flanked by representatives of some of the state’s largest business groups, including the Florida Chamber of Commerce. The network groups businesses into 18 “critical infrastructure” categories and lists 70 specific industries, everything from flight schools to dive shops. Businesses owners who join the network can report suspicious activities anonymously if they wish.
Link: http://floridacapitalnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080508/CAPITOLNEWS/805080326&theme=