# What's a Homeland Security Check? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 11, 2015, 6:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-homeland-security-check/709529 "2015-01-11T06:16:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![PurpleClogs](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f04885/32.png) [@PurpleClogs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PurpleClogs)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2015, 6:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-homeland-security-check/709529/1 "2015-01-11T06:16:06Z")
Listening to police online police scanner for Chicago over the past year or so, I often hear a cop call dispatch to ask for an event number for a “homeland security check”. What exactly is a homeland security check? To me that sounds terror related. Just curious because they’re pretty frequent. YIKES! ---
**Author:** ![Hello\_Again](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/85e7bf/32.png) [@Hello\_Again](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hello_Again)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2015, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-homeland-security-check/709529/2 "2015-01-11T14:39:53Z")
Are you sure you’re not hearing a “home security check” ie, a welfare check? ---
**Author:** ![PurpleClogs](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f04885/32.png) [@PurpleClogs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PurpleClogs)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2015, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-homeland-security-check/709529/3 "2015-01-11T14:57:45Z")
I’ll listen closer tonight. I was sure, but now you have me questioning it. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2015, 3:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-homeland-security-check/709529/4 "2015-01-11T15:03:41Z")
ICE is under Homeland Security. Just a guess since I don’t work in Chicago but maybe they are asking to check if there are any ICE(immigration) detainers on a subject. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2015, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-homeland-security-check/709529/5 "2015-01-11T16:14:29Z")
> [@PurpleClogs](#): > > …To me that sounds terror related. … Probably not. This [Operational and Support Components | Homeland Security](http://www.dhs.gov/department-components) is the list of major DHS agencies. ---
**Author:** ![OldGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/3bc359/32.png) [@OldGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OldGuy)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2015, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-homeland-security-check/709529/6 "2015-01-11T16:34:53Z")
> [@Hello\_Again](#): > > Are you sure you’re not hearing a “home security check” ie, a welfare check? Why would you think a home security check was anything to do with welfare.If I heard the police use that phrase, I’d think they were checking on an alarm from a home security system. Many such systems call a monitoring station which then calls police/fire as appropriate. ---
**Author:** ![GusNSpot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gusnspot/32/436_2.png) [@GusNSpot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GusNSpot)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2015, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-homeland-security-check/709529/7 "2015-01-11T17:14:08Z")
> [@OldGuy](#): > > Why would you think a home security check was anything to do with welfare.If I heard the police use that phrase, I’d think they were checking on an alarm from a home security system. Many such systems call a monitoring station which then calls police/fire as appropriate. This ↑ ↑ ↑ And look at where the concern is. I bet many peoples have alarm systems cause, well you know, Chicago… 😃 ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2015, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-homeland-security-check/709529/8 "2015-01-11T18:28:40Z")
> [@OldGuy](#): > > Why would you think a home security check was anything to do with welfare.If I heard the police use that phrase, I’d think they were checking on an alarm from a home security system. Many such systems call a monitoring station which then calls police/fire as appropriate. A “welfare check” is not about publicly-funded assistance payments. It’s police checking on somebody to ensure they’re OK. Like when somebody calls in that they haven’t seen their neighbor outside for 4 days and the newspapers are piling up. Or the dog is barking and has been for 36 hours. ---
**Author:** ![jnglmassiv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f07891/32.png) [@jnglmassiv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jnglmassiv)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2015, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-homeland-security-check/709529/9 "2015-01-11T19:59:55Z")
Longtime CPD radio listener here. The term is indeed Homeland Security Check. The police get grants from the Feds for securing certain perceived high value/visibility targets. This would be things like bridges, ports, water treatment facilities, power plants, etc. They call into one of the Citywides for an RD number (or is it and Event number?) so that they can account for their time and resources and get a check every year. This helps fund things like equipping [helicopters (pretty cool PDF)](https://portal.chicagopolice.org/portal/pls/portal/!PORTAL.wwpob_page.show?_docname=378854.PDF) and the [Marine Operations details](https://portal.chicagopolice.org/portal/page/portal/ClearPath/About%20CPD/Specialized%20Units/Marine%20and%20Helecopter%20Unit) that might otherwise not exist. For example, Chicago probably wouldn’t have gamma detectors on Heli2 without these Federal grants. ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2015, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-homeland-security-check/709529/10 "2015-01-11T20:29:56Z")
> [@jnglmassiv](#): > > Longtime CPD radio listener here. > The term is indeed Homeland Security Check. > > \< . . . \> > > They call into one of the Citywides for an RD number (or is it and Event number?) so that they can account for their time and resources and get a check every year. So “Homeland Security Check” refers to the annual check the local PD thus gets every year? ---
**Author:** ![jnglmassiv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f07891/32.png) [@jnglmassiv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jnglmassiv)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2015, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-homeland-security-check/709529/11 "2015-01-11T20:34:13Z")
> [@Senegoid](#): > > So “Homeland Security Check” refers to the annual check the local PD thus gets every year? Good one! I never thought of it that way but I guess it isn’t wrong! ---
**Author:** ![PurpleClogs](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f04885/32.png) [@PurpleClogs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PurpleClogs)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2015, 5:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-homeland-security-check/709529/12 "2015-01-12T05:02:33Z")
I don’t know what the RD stands for, but I always thought of it as the same thing as the event number they,re referencing. They say both. > [@Senegoid](#): > > So “Homeland Security Check” refers to the annual check the local PD thus gets every year? Confusing homonyms. Not the annual money (check), but the actual act of examining (checking) of subjects, which occurs more often than annually. That may have been what you meant. ---
**Author:** ![Hello\_Again](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/85e7bf/32.png) [@Hello\_Again](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hello_Again)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2015, 2:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-homeland-security-check/709529/13 "2015-01-12T14:15:38Z")
> [@PurpleClogs](#): > > Confusing homonyms. Not the annual money (check), but the actual act of examining (checking) of subjects, which occurs more often than annually. That may have been what you meant. It was a play on words about getting a check from the Feds to fund homeland security activity. ---
**Author:** ![robert\_columbia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e79b87/32.png) [@robert\_columbia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robert_columbia)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2015, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-homeland-security-check/709529/14 "2015-01-12T15:37:03Z")
> [@PurpleClogs](#): > > … > Confusing homonyms. Not the annual money (check), but the actual act of examining (checking) of subjects, which occurs more often than annually. That may have been what you meant. But what are they checking? If they get a “Homeland Security Check” on a random person who isn’t really that much of a threat, what’s likely to turn up? Is this just a basic criminal records/warrant check type background check, or is there more? Old elementary school report cards? SDMB posting histories? List of all times and places that they have passed through US immigration? ---
**Author:** ![Hello\_Again](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/85e7bf/32.png) [@Hello\_Again](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hello_Again)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2015, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-homeland-security-check/709529/15 "2015-01-12T15:41:07Z")
> [@robert\_columbia](#): > > But what are they checking? If they get a “Homeland Security Check” on a random person who isn’t really that much of a threat, what’s likely to turn up? Is this just a basic criminal records/warrant check type background check, or is there more? Old elementary school report cards? SDMB posting histories? List of all times and places that they have passed through US immigration? From this description of the activities of the Chicago police Marine unit, they aren’t checking on people, they’re checking on places, such as water treatment facilities, harbors, piers, etc. “Marine Operations personnel spend a large portion of their tour conducting homeland security checks and patrols” [https://portal.chicagopolice.org/portal/page/portal/ClearPath/About%20CPD/Specialized%20Units/Marine%20and%20Helecopter%20Unit](https://portal.chicagopolice.org/portal/page/portal/ClearPath/About%20CPD/Specialized%20Units/Marine%20and%20Helecopter%20Unit) ---
**Author:** ![Yllaria](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yllaria/32/3452_2.png) [@Yllaria](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yllaria)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2015, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-homeland-security-check/709529/16 "2015-01-12T19:58:52Z")
They’re checking to be sure that nobody has planted a Lite Brite near a support column. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2015, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-homeland-security-check/709529/17 "2015-01-13T20:21:13Z")
I checked on a cop only site I belong to. There are quite a few from the Chicago PD on there. It is indeed a check on key locations, infrastructure and potential terrorist targets. The Hancock building, board of trade, Sears Tower, water filtration plants etc. It is just the jargon they use for it and not because it has anything to do with the Department of Homeland Security. One guy said they were usually carried out by special units outside of the usual beat cars. Hope that helps. ---
**Author:** ![Omar\_Little](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omar_little/32/269_2.png) [@Omar\_Little](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omar_Little)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2015, 10:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-homeland-security-check/709529/18 "2015-01-13T22:04:02Z")
ICE - immigration and customs enforcement is under the Dept. of Homeland Security and part of the Homeland Security Investigations group. Your radio calls could be random immigration investigations. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2015, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-homeland-security-check/709529/19 "2015-01-13T22:31:37Z")
> [@Omar\_Little](#): > > ICE - immigration and customs enforcement is under the Dept. of Homeland Security and part of the Homeland Security Investigations group. Your radio calls could be random immigration investigations. That is what I theorized in post #4. But I was wrong. According to several Chicago PD officers I contacted the post above yours is the correct answer.