Westchester Unveils 'Bee-Aware' Campaign

WHITE PLAINS, N.Y. – The “If You See Something, Say Something” campaign launched in the New York City transit system after Sept. 11 has come to Westchester through its Bee-Line buses, County Executive Robert Astorino announced Thursday morning.

(From L to R) Deputy Commissioner Patricia Chemka, Department of Public Works and Transportation; County Executive Robert P. Astorino; Allen Kay, CEO, Korey Kay & Partners; Commissioner George N. Longworth, Department of Public Safety.
Photo Credit: *Westchester County*

The Bee-Line Bus System will have a new ad campaign to encourage riders to say something if they see something suspicious.
Photo Credit: *File photo*

by Brian Donnelly

04/18/2013 11:15 a.m.

Thanks to a $433,000 safety grant from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, the 16-week “Bee-Aware” campaign includes:

Cable spots that will run for 16 weeks on the following stations: News 12, ABC Family, TNT, TBS, USA, BET, VH1, Oxygen, Fox Deportes, Tres and Galavision in English and Spanish.
Radio spots on stations: WHUD-FM (100.7), WFAS-FM (103.9), WVIP-FM (93.5) WWRP-FM (105.1).
Newspaper ads in The Journal News, TMC Express, 10 ads in English and Spanish.
Exterior bus ads on 42 buses, English and Spanish ads.
Bus shelter ads in 36 bus shelters, English and Spanish ads.

The campaign will use humor to send a serious message, which boils down to, “If You See Something, Say Something,” Astorino said.

“The bombings in Boston on Monday are a tragic reminder to us that we cannot become casual in efforts to prevent terrorism,” he said Thursday. “Citizen vigilance is a major part of that. The purpose of this campaign is to raise awareness among riders that if they see a suspicious package that is left unattended, they should notify the driver or call the police.”

The county’s Department of Public Works and Transportation got the grant before the Boston Marathon bombing Monday. It has used Homeland Security funds before to install cameras at the White Plains and New Rochelle TransCenters, security improvements at the Valhalla storage and maintenance facility and the preparation of a security threat assessment and plan for addressing potential threats to the Bee-Line System.

In 2012, 32.1 million people rode Bee-Line buses with an average daily weekday ridership of about 115,000. The fleet includes nearly 330 routes, making it the second largest in New York State.

“Bee-Line riders are often the first line of defense when it comes to spotting suspicious packages or unusual activity on board buses,” Public Safety Commissioner George N. Longworth said. “I urge all those who use the Bee-Line system to alert the driver or call police immediately if they see something that doesn’t look right.”

Click here to follow Daily Voice White Plains and receive free news updates.