Posted on: Monday, November 8, 2004
Truck drivers to patrol Isle roadways
| • | Harbor installing radiation detector |
By Mike Leidemann
Advertiser Transportation Writer
Hawai'i's commercial truck and bus drivers are being enlisted in the war on terrorism.
Companies that want their drivers to participate in the program can contact the Hawai'i Transportation Association at 833-6628 to arrange a training session. Once trained, the drivers will join thousands of others across the nation as card-carrying members of the Highway Watch program sponsored by the Department of Homeland Security.
"They're the ones on the road all the time. They know who should be there and who shouldn't," said Gareth Sakakida, HTA's managing director.
The new training, which began last month in Honolulu, is part of a nationwide effort to recruit a volunteer army of truckers, bus drivers and construction workers providing the first watch for suspicious activity. So far, more than 10,000 truckers nationwide have enrolled in the program; ultimately, more than 400,000 people are expected.
Those who complete the training are given an ID card and access to a toll-free phone number in Kentucky where officials log all calls into a database and contact law enforcement officials.
Among the suspicious activity that the truckers are told to be on the watch for are people taking pictures of bridges or passengers handling heavy backpacks with unusual care. They are warned, however, not to suspect someone just because of their racial background or the way they are dressed.
"The goal is to teach them what to watch out for and who to call," Sakakida said. "In Hawai'i, it's always been a matter of minding your own business, but we can't afford to do it like that any longer."
The program is reminiscent of a 2002 Justice Department proposal that would have encouraged thousands of workers and neighbors to report suspicious behavior to the government. That idea was quickly killed amid popular protest against the idea of America becoming a "nation of snitches," as one publication put it.
In the new program, the drivers are taught to first call 911 for life-threatening emergencies, then dial the hotline. The Highway Watch headquarters receives about 200 calls each month, but only about 10 have anything to do with suspected terrorism. Most callers report abandoned vehicles, stranded motorists or roadway hazards, officials said.
The program is financed by a $19.3 million federal grant to the American Trucking Association, which is working with the local group.
Reach Mike Leidemann at 525-5460 or mleidemann@honoluluadvertiser.com.
The Hawai'i Transportation Association plans to sign up and train hundreds of drivers to become roving eyes and ears on the alert for suspicious activity along the state's roadways.
Interested?
