Terrorism & Mass Violence
Terrorism and mass violence are intentional acts aimed at causing damage, injury and death on a large scale. These acts are often planned in advance. Reports from the public of suspicious activity have prevented many acts of violence. The Ramsey County Sheriff's Office and local law enforcement agencies have responsibility for investigating crimes or terrorism in their service areas.
Suspicious activity
Suspicious activity is not about a particular race, culture or religion. It's about behavior. Anyone who is acting like they may be planning or about to harm others should be reported to law enforcement right away. Suspicious activity reports can prevent crimes, even save lives and stop terrorist attacks.
If you see suspicious activity:
- Report it right away. If you think there is an immediate danger, call 911.
- Report it using the non-emergency number of your local law enforcement agency, or report it to the Ramsey County Sheriff's Office.
Tell them who or what you saw, when you saw it, where it occurred and why you feel it is suspicious and dangerous. Do not confront the person acting suspiciously, and do not move or touch any suspicious items.
Civil unrest and riots
Civil unrest can come in many forms, from peaceful protests and strikes to riots. In rare cases some individuals within a peaceful group, or whole groups themselves, may decide to be violent: threatening or causing large-scale property damage, looting and injury or deaths. This violent form of civil unrest is known as a riot.
Riots are rare nationwide but can happen anywhere at a moment’s notice. They are often sparked by a politically or socially sensitive incident, though the Twin Cities has also seen riots after large sporting events.
If there is a riot occurring near you, there are a few things you can do to increase your safety:
- Follow all instructions from officials carefully and quickly.
- Follow the news on the radio, TV or internet to see what is happening, which way the riot may be moving, and when it is safe again.
- Stay away from or leave the area immediately.
- Stay indoors if you are already in the area. Lock windows and doors, turn off lights and close curtains and blinds. Stay away from outer walls.
Active shooters
Active shooters and other mass attackers attempt to kill several people in a single, or series of, attacks. They can have a variety of personal motivations and come from a wide range of backgrounds and profiles. Occasionally, they target their attacks against someone or something they have a grievance against. In other cases, their victims are random.
Following are suggestions from the Department of Homeland Security, the Department of Education and others about how to include active shooter preparedness and training in emergency plans.
Terrorism
Terrorism is the use of force or violence to create fear and influence public opinion and government policy. This fear can be created through the threat of violence or actual acts of violence, often with the aim to create enough loss of life, public damage or economic impact to intimidate the general public and force social and government change. Terrorist can be politically or socially motivated. The variety of potential terrorism motivations means that no place is immune from a possible threat.
Learn more about terrorist hazards.
The National Terrorism Advisory System
The National Terrorism Advisory System (NTAS) replaces the old color-coded terrorism alerts. NTAS uses a simple, clear format to indicate an Imminent Threat, Elevated Threat or No Threat condition.
Find out the current threat level and sign up for NTAS alerts.