LAS VEGAS -- In the years since the 9/11 terror attacks, Las Vegas has remained on the list of "most threatened" cities. And while federal officials continue to debate the extent of that threat, state and local law enforcement insist the risk is real.
The message from law enforcement remains one of vigilance. Although 9/11 is hardly a memory, the passage of time can dull that sense of urgency many felt right after the attacks. So while there are no identified threats against Las Vegas, the experts say the possibility exists.
Every year, Southern Nevada plays host to some 30 million tourists. In the months before the September 11th attacks, Mohammad Atta, along with at least four of the 19 hijackers, were among them.
"The lesson to that is they could be here and they could visit here and that's why it's so important that we get every aspect of our community involved in identifying suspicious activities," said Metro Lt. Gregory Damarin.
A decade since 9/11, Lt. Damarin supervises Metro's counter-terrorism efforts, part of a multi-jurisdictional strategy re-defining law enforcement.
"Police officers are not only investigating our regular crimes -- our traditional crimes like robbery and burglary -- but they're also thinking about what are terrorists doing out there to plan an attack," he said.
Damarin and his three squads work out of the Southern Nevada Counterterrorism Center, also known as the Fusion Center, that recently re-located to Metro's new headquarters.
The 24 hour operation, one of 72 nationwide, is made up of a dozen partner agencies, including federal, state and local law enforcement, fire, and homeland security interests who share information in an effort to disrupt and prevent terrorism.
"Before 9/11, there wasn't a capability or an organizational structure to basically take in suspicious activity reports. It might not be criminal in nature, but it just might be odd. Everyone thinks about the guys learning to fly planes but not land. Connecting those dots is what the Fusion Center tries to do," said Ross Bryant with UNLV's now-defunct Institute for Security Studies.
In support of that effort, Bryant worked with the Fusion Center to develop educational videos for the hospitality industry. Building on the national "See Something, Say Something" campaign, they instruct hotel employees to spot, identify and report suspicious activity.
"A bad day is probably not going to happen in front of the sheriff or law enforcement. It's going to happen in front of someone who cleans a room everyday, someone who parks a car. Just everyday awareness," said Bryant.
Although Las Vegas, with its density and diversity of visitors and the Sin City designation has long been considered a potential terrorist target, Lt. Damarin explains there are no identified threats to the city. However, he says reports of suspicious activity have increased in the last 18 months, reinforcing the need for vigilance.
"If you see something suspicious, don't rationalize it. If you think it's suspicious, there's a good chance it is and we ask the public to report it," he said.
The success of all of these counterterrorism efforts is difficult to measure, but Lt. Damarin says when he gets that question, he points out that the community has remained safe.
