It took people four days to report a truck full of explosives in Homeland Security test

New York state plans to fight terrorism using a phone app — but before you laugh, consider that it took people four days before they reported a suspiciously parked truck filled with "explosives" in a Homeland Security test.

"That's four days too long," the New York State Executive Chamber helpfully points out in a video promoting the "see something, say something" campaign the state has been using since 2002.

Yet even with widespread awareness of the "see something, say something" slogan, it remains difficult to prompt people to report things like the truck in the test. With the launch of the See Something Say Something app, New York hopes to cut down on whatever hesitations people might have to report something.

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"People would use this app to report any suspicious behavior and situations that are out of the normal routine. This could include an unattended backpack or briefcase in a public place, a vehicle that's parked in an unusual location, or someone who is showing an unusual interest in a building or other facility," Beau Duffy of the New York State Police public information office told DNA Info.

Hopefully prompting users to grab their iPhones when something catches their eye will cut four days down to no time at all.