Robert Walters took a part-time job at a mall information desk after debilitating strokes he suffered made finding a job elsewhere difficult.  The registered Democrat, who is now 54, occasionally argued with a young Republican co-worker and at one time mentioned that he might stop by protests planned for the 2008 Republican National Convention.  That, […]

“For all the 30 years that I have lived in the United States, I’ve never been a suspect,” said Emil Khalil. The California man was confronted at the mall in June 2009 for taking pictures, and he said an FBI agent later questioned him and his brother, Sameer, at the airport. “And I’ve never done […]

Morteza Razaviein, an Iranian national who’s now 62, went to the Mall of America last year to see if it was as impressive as he had heard.  He had come to the United States for the first time to visit his son, a student at the University of Minnesota. He was videotaping near the Nordstrom […]

Two “Middle Eastern” men with a camera and possible “radar gun” watched airplanes from the parking lot. They left without being questioned.  

Personnel stopped a man taking photos of mall security. He stated he was a psychologist who photographed uniforms because of the authority they depicted.  

Mall parking attendants reported two vans with suspicious printed material on seats, including “The House of Yahweh Newsletter” and a book with a photo of an exploding building on the front cover. The occupants were observed changing their shirts before locking the vehicles and departing in an airport van with their suitcases. The K-9 unit, […]

In the wake of 9/11 , the U.S. government radically rethought how it ensures the safety of its citizens. From 2003 to 2011, Congress poured money into the newly created Department of Homeland Security, which grew from a handful of employees to thousands upon thousands. The boost in homeland security spending was aimed at aggressively […]

Mall parking attendants reported two vans with suspicious printed material on seats, including “The House of Yahweh Newsletter” and a book with a photo of an exploding building on the front cover. The occupants were observed changing their shirts before locking the vehicles and departing in an airport van with their suitcases. The K-9 unit, […]

In May 2009, two black men visiting the Mall of America drew the suspicions of a mall security employee as they strolled through the attractions with a video camera. The security guard followed them, noting their locations and alleged actions and calling in two more security guards before stopping the men for questioning. This animation […]

After 9/11, the government began encouraging local police, private security and everyday Americans to report so-called “suspicious activity” that may indicate a security threat. More than 15,000 reports are already compiled in one database that can be searched nationwide by law enforcement authorities. Taking photos of landmarks, walking “nervously” and writing in a notebook are […]