See something suspicious on a VIA bus?

New national safety campaign asks you to report suspicious activity

SAN ANTONIO – San Antonio is jumping on board with a national campaign aimed at keeping public transportation safer. The public is being asked to keep an eye out for suspicious activity on or near buses.

Retired Navy veteran Danny Turner rides public buses to and from class at San Antonio College every single day.

"It's a career change! Business management," Turner said.

He said he's seen his fair share of suspicious people on the buses and at bus stops.

That's why he's excited to see both VIA Metro and the city pushing the "See Something, Say Something" campaign.  It was created after 9/11, urging people to report suspicious or possible terrorist activity.

"I think it's smart, because if you see a guy about to do something dangerous, it'd be a good idea to say something. You don't want anybody to get hurt. I don't want to get hurt!" Turner said.

With recent international events, such as threats from ISIS, there's been a new push for more cities to join the program.  San Antonio is officially on board, asking riders to report anything strange they see, either to their bus driver or to VIA police.

VIA Metro President Jeffrey Arndt said the majority of suspicious activity right now is when packages are left behind on buses or at bus stops. Most of the time when they're opened, there's nothing dangerous inside, but he says you can never be too safe.

"We know that one of the common targets of folks that are trying to do things we'd rather them not do, is any place where people gather," Arndt said.

Arndt says it's not just possible terrorism people should look out for, but anything suspicious at all. With VIA's 600 buses serving millions of people across Bexar County, there's a lot on the line.

If you see anything suspicious you'd like to report, you can always call VIA Police at 210-362-2439.


About the Author

Courtney Friedman anchors KSAT’s weekend evening shows and reports during the week. Her ongoing Loving in Fear series confronts Bexar County’s domestic violence epidemic. She joined KSAT in 2014 and is proud to call the SA and South Texas community home. She came to San Antonio from KYTX CBS 19 in Tyler, where she also anchored & reported.

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