A Suspicious Activity Report or SAR is a report that someone generates about “activity” they deem to be “suspicious.” Originally used mainly by financial institutions, the Patriot Act in 2001 expanded the scope of SAR reporting to include behaviors and activities deemed by the government and reporting agencies and persons to potentially be linked to terrorism.
<aside> <img src="/icons/conceal_red.svg" alt="/icons/conceal_red.svg" width="40px" /> The SAR program criminalizes ordinary behaviors as “suspicious” and authorizes LAPD to write up secret files on individuals based on speculation and hunches.
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Once gathered, these files are stored and shared with thousands of law enforcement and public agencies, and are accessible to private contractors through Fusion Centers.
Joint Regional Intelligence Center (JRIC) Tip and Lead report obtained by the Stop LAPD Spying Coalition. JRIC is Southern California’s Fusion Center.