Big Sis Urges Citizen Spying at NCAA Tournament

Fans attending this year’s March Madness games will be greeted by a video of Department of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano and NCAA President Mark Emmert encouraging them to “say something” if they see suspicious activities.

The video, which will also appear at most other winter championship events, is part of a national campaign sponsored by Homeland Security to raise citizen awareness in high-profile environments such as major events and public transit.

Security at the games has always been a priority for the NCAA, but the rapid growth of the Final Four in recent years has prompted the Association to assess security practices even more closely and to scale procedures to fit the constantly evolving environment.

“We’re building on a base that was very, very stable,” said NCAA security expert Khalil Johnson of Common Sense Consultants.