U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Government Website

Official websites use .gov
A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.

Safely connect using HTTPS

Secure .gov websites use HTTPS
A lock () or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

Breadcrumb
  1. Home
  2. Publications Library
  3. Nationwide SAR Initiative Collection

Nationwide SAR Initiative Collection

The Nationwide Suspicious Activity Reporting (SAR) Initiative (NSI) is a joint collaborative effort by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and state, local, tribal, and territorial law enforcement partners. This initiative provides law enforcement with another tool to help prevent terrorism and other related criminal activity by establishing a national capacity for gathering, documenting, processing, analyzing, and sharing SAR information.

  • Suspicious Activity Reporting Indicators, Behaviors, and Examples

    These tools for analysts and investigators detail potential criminal or noncriminal activities requiring additional information during the vetting process or investigation, as well as defined criminal activity and potential terrorism nexus activity. When the activity involves behavior that may be lawful or is a constitutionally protected activity, the investigating law enforcement agency will carefully assess the information and gather as much information as possible before taking any action, including documenting and validating the information as terrorism-related and sharing it with other law enforcement agencies.

  • Suspicious Activity Reporting Maritime Sector Training Overview

    This overview provides an introduction to the NSI, relates how maritime industry professionals may fit into the suspicious activity reporting process, and includes instructions on accessing the training.

  • Suspicious Activity Reporting Private Sector Security Training Overview

    This overview is an introduction to the NSI, relates how private sector security officers and those charged with protecting the nation’s critical infrastructure may fit into the suspicious activity reporting process, and includes instructions on accessing the training.

  • Suspicious Activity Reporting Probation, Parole, and Corrections Training Overview

    This overview is an introduction to the NSI, relates how probation, parole, and corrections professionals may fit into the suspicious activity reporting process, and includes instructions on accessing the training.

  • Suspicious Activity Reporting Process Implementation Checklist

    Provides a simplified checklist for chief executives and senior leadership to implement a SAR process within their agencies.

  • Suspicious Activity Reporting Public Health and Health Care Partners Training Overview

    This overview is an introduction to the NSI, relates how public health and health care partners may fit into the suspicious activity reporting process, and includes instructions on accessing the training.

  • Suspicious Activity Reporting Public Safety Telecommunications Training Overview

    This overview is an introduction to the NSI, relates how public safety telecommunications professionals (e.g., 9-1-1 operators) may fit into the suspicious activity reporting process, and includes instructions on accessing the training.

  • Unified Message

    This Unified Message document was created to help clarify a unified approach to the process of reporting and sharing information related to suspicious activity.

  • Updated Privacy Policy Review Process

    This document details the new privacy policy review process. It has been recently modified to support fusion centers and expedite the finalization of their privacy policies.

  • Validation of the Nationwide Suspicious Activity Reporting (SAR) Initiative

    This executive summary details the University of Maryland's National Consortium for the Study of Terrorism and Responses to Terrorism (START) initiative to compare pre-incident activities of terrorists and violent criminal extremists in the United States to the 16 suspicious activity reporting (SAR) behavioral indicators that are outlined in the Information Sharing Environment (ISE) SAR Functional Standard as being observed behaviors reasonably indicative of preoperational planning related to terrorism or other criminal activity. The START Study verifies the utility of the Nationwide SAR Initiative (NSI), which provides law enforcement and homeland security agencies with a uniform method for gathering and reporting raw tips, leads, and reports of suspicious activity.