Enhancing Safety and Security with See, Check, and Notify (SCaN)

In today’s world, ensuring safety and security is everyone’s responsibility. Whether you’re at work, attending an event, or simply going about your daily activities, being vigilant can make a significant difference.

One powerful approach to enhancing security is the See, Check, and Notify (SCaN) framework. This article will explain the principles of SCaN, highlighting how you can play a crucial role in disrupting the plans of terrorists and other criminals.

Understanding the Threat

For terrorists and other criminals to successfully carry out their plans, they need to gather as much information about their intended target as possible. This is usually done online and then in person by visiting the place they want to target. This process presents us with an opportunity to identify their activity and disrupt their plans.

What is SCaN?

SCaN empowers individuals and organisations to maximise safety and security by using existing resources to disrupt the information-gathering efforts of criminals. The core components of SCaN are:

• See: Recognise what’s normal and what isn’t, and be vigilant for suspicious activity.
• Check: Use friendly conversation to determine if activity is suspicious.
• and
• Notify: Know how and when to report suspicious activity and what to do if someone else reports it to you.

The Components of SCaN

See

The first step in the SCaN framework is to See. This involves recognising what is normal in your environment and being vigilant for anything out of the ordinary. To help determine if an item is suspicious, you can use the HOT protocol:

1. Hidden:

• Has the item been concealed or hidden from view?
• Bombs are unlikely to be left in locations where any unattended item will be noticed quickly.

2. Obviously suspicious:

• Is the item obviously suspicious?
• Consider factors like its placement and whether it seems out of place in the environment.

3. Typical:

• Is the item typical of what you would expect to find in this location?
• Most lost property is found in areas where people congregate.

Check

The next step is to Check. Use the power of a friendly conversation to find out if the activity is suspicious. A simple “hello” can help you gauge the intent of an individual and determine if further action is necessary. Engaging with people in a polite and non-confrontational way can often reveal important information.

Notify

Finally, if you identify suspicious activity, it’s crucial to Notify the appropriate authorities. Know how and when to report what you’ve seen. If someone else reports suspicious activity to you, understand the steps to take to ensure the information is acted upon quickly and efficiently.

The Impact of SCaN

The SCaN framework can significantly disrupt the information-gathering and planning activities of criminals. By being vigilant and proactive, you can make your organisation, venue, or event less attractive to potential attackers. SCaN has been tested and shown to provide an additional layer of security at little or no extra cost, improving the coordination and application of security measures.

Research indicates that people are twice as likely to report suspicious activity if they are confident that something will be done about it. By adopting SCaN principles, you contribute to a collective effort to prevent crime and terrorism.

Conclusion

In conclusion, we all have a role to play in defeating terrorism and keeping our communities safe. By following the SCaN principles—See, Check, and Notify—you can help disrupt the plans of criminals and enhance overall security. Together, we’ve got it covered.

Let’s make vigilance a part of our daily lives and work together to create a safer environment for everyone. If you see something suspicious, don’t hesitate to act. Together, we can make a difference.