The National Terrorism Advisory System or NTAS replaces the color-coded Homeland Security Advisories formerly used to notify the public of elevated threat levels. Homeland Security believes the new system will communicate more effectively when there is a terror threat by providing timely, detailed information to the public, business community, government agencies, first responders, airports and other transportation.
http://www.dhs.gov/files/programs/ntas-developer-resources.shtm



Some communities are using Facebook in their Neighborhood Watch efforts. According to the Editor-in-Chief and co-founder of SecurityInfoWatch.com, Geoff Kohl, the idea is an example of how technology is helping communities stay safer. Read details in Geoff's blog posting http://www.securityinfowatch.com/The+Security+Check/how-facebook-reinventing-a-neighborhood-watch

NPR has been producing a series of stories this week on youth violence, and included in the mix was the story of Safe Passage. Safe Passage is a federally funded program to ensure safety of students headed home from school, which the article called "one of the most dangerous times of day for teenagers." In a nutshell, the program involves added security officers, law enforcement patrols, even aerial surveillance of hot spots -- all with the goal of making sure the nation's next generation of leaders make it home safely.

Read more about Safe Passage on NPR's site, where they also have published the "Morning Edition" audio segment about this new program.

http://www.npr.org/2011/03/24/134798564/chicagos-silent-watchmen-guard-school-route