Website created to gather tips against terrorism

Keith Paul

Thursday, July 11, 2002 | 9:53 a.m.

With law enforcement officials from the FBI to local authorities saying information is the key to battling terrorism, a Las Vegas resident is using his Internet skills to help gather that information.

Ari Burton launched a website on the Fourth of July with the goal of making it a sort of nationwide Secret Witness, a place for people to send tips on terrorist activity to federal authorities.

"I just wanted to do something," said Burton, who runs his own computer-based business. "I figured it would be a way to get the information to all the federal agencies."

Burton, 33, got one company to donate the Internet hosting and another the website name -- www.precrime.us -- while he designed the site.

The website allows people to write tips on terrorism on a form that is electronically mailed to the headquarters of the FBI, CIA and Secret Service. The form does ask for a name and an e-mail address, but Burton said the form also allows for anonymity.

"There is nothing to stop people from just putting a first name and a ... fake address," he said. "If you are going to pick up the phone and call (in a tip), there may be a whole lot more questions. That can be very intimidating to some people."

So far there have been no tips generated, with only about 25 people coming to the site. But that doesn't bother Burton.

"There was someone from New Zealand and another person from the Czech Republic that came to the site with it not being listed on search engines, so that's a start," he said.

Of course there is no way of knowing if they came to the site to offer tips or if they were looking for information on the hit movie "Minority Report," which has a website with a similar address.

Local authorities have not heard much about Burton's efforts, but they don't dismiss the possible benefits.

"We welcome any information that people would have about specifics on terrorism," said Special Agent Daron W. Borst, the FBI's Las Vegas office spokesman. "We are not familiar with this (website) and it's too early to make an assessment."

Borst said speaking with tipsters is important in gathering more information and determining whether the threat is credible. He said, however, people can send an e-mail tip through the FBI's website -- www.fbi.gov -- in a similar way.

Burton said he created his site after hearing news that various federal agencies had bits of information that was not all being shared. His site sends the same information to various federal agencies.

Borst said the main intelligence gathering agencies all have seats at the Strategic Information and Operation Center based at FBI headquarters, which often leads to sharing information.

Burton's website also asks for tips on other crimes, which can be directed to a state police headquarters.

"We have nothing to lose and everything to gain," Burton said.