Who's watching?

In New York, could be anybody.

Across Long Island, thousands of regular citizens -- from shop clerks to waiters to landlords and teachers -- are quietly being asked to enlist as foot soldiers in the war on terror through Operation Safeguard.

Interviews and documents show that the unique statewide plan, started last year by the New York State Office of Homeland Security, aims to use local police to contact citizens who are encouraged to identify, report -- and even confront -- possible terrorists.

The authorities are asking Long Islanders to do everything from reporting on diners' conversations to monitoring strangers' Internet use to observing fellow worshipers at religious services to noting when parents withdraw their kids from school.

Once gathered by the local police, contact information from participating businesses and organizations -- names, addresses, telephone numbers and e-mail addresses -- is forwarded to the Albany-based agency, which uses the data to warn of threats. Tips from Operation Safeguard are forwarded to a Joint Terrorism Task Force made of local, state and federal authorities.

This is getting out of hand. But what can you do? I suppose repealing the PATRIOT Act wouldn't hurt. Here, go sign the petition.