Hi-Tech-Consulting

“How Employers Can Prevent Workplace Violence”
Oakland Press (MI) (04/11/07) ; Mossa, Lara 

The best way companies can prevent workplace violence is to monitor employees for warning signs, security experts say, noting that employees typically become violent after a series of stressful incidents–including divorce and other personal and financial problems–cause them to reach a breaking point. Employees who have drug or alcohol problems are more likely to turn to violence, as are employees who exhibit significant changes in behavior, which could be a sign of stress. If a threat is identified, companies should hire a security firm that will not only provide on-site security but conduct a profile of the employee and put him under surveillance, including for weapons. When terminating or laying off employees, security guards should be at the work site, and more than one person should be in the room when the terminations take place. A terminated employee should have his security passes deactivated, and fellow employees should be told about the termination in case they notice the employee returning to the workplace. Employers should avoid layoffs before holidays, and layoffs should occur at the beginning of the week to allow employees to immediately begin a job search. Companies should install access control technology, turnstiles, surveillance cameras, and front-desk alarm buttons if they want to prevent workplace violence.
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“Nine Steps to Preparing for Workplace Violence”
Computerworld (04/10/07) ; Berinato, Scott 

The vast majority of the most serious workplace violence incidents are preceded by warning signs that are ignored, says workplace violence expert Chris McGoey, who offers nine steps to minimize the threat. The first step is to create and train a workplace-violence response team that includes members from security, HR, and business unit management. This team will come up with a detailed response plan that assigns specific roles to each team member and clearly defines what employee behaviors will not be tolerated, going so far as to explain when it is appropriate to remove or even disable a troubled employee. Employers should also consult with local law enforcement to get a better grasp of state laws, and employers should watch for warning signs by encouraging employees to report other employees who make threats, no matter how minor the threat seems. “One of the first things you hear after an incident is, ‘He had been saying some weird stuff, but I didn’t think he was serious,’” says McGoey. Employers should proactively deter a crisis, and McGoey strongly emphasizes that the best way to do this is to treat all employees with respect, which is the easiest way to prevent violence. If a situation escalates to a crisis, McGoey says that the source or target of a violent person’s anger should be removed or protected until the situation is diffused; a neutral party should step in to mediate; the angry employee should be removed from the source of anger and taken to a neutral spot in the office; the employee should be escorted off the property or disabled; and steps should be taken to prevent his possible return.
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“High Cost of Campus Security”
Chicago Daily Herald (04/19/07) ; Comerford, Mike 

The school security industry will likely see a large increase in demand for its products and services due to the Virginia Tech shootings. Industry insiders say that campus security has been growing ever since the Sept. 11 attacks, with increasing amounts of money being spent on technology, security personnel, and equipment. Some school security officers have training as paramedics and most have been trained for rapid force deployments in the event of a school shooting. “We spend a lot of money on training alone,” says Harper College Police Chief Mike Alsup, adding that most colleges spend about 1.5 percent of their annual budgets on security. Several colleges and universities in the Chicago area report that they have security budgets exceeding $1 million. Statistics from the U.S. Department of Education show that there are an average of 16 murders and manslaughters per year on college campuses over the past six years. Two Chicago-area security companies alone employ some 1,000 school security personnel in the Chicago area, including 15 certified protection professionals.
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“Are University Campuses Safe?”
Chicago Sun-Times (04/17/07)

Security experts are busy analyzing the state of security on U.S. universities in the aftermath of the Virginia Tech massacre, and some are also wondering whether Virginia Tech had an emergency plan in place–one that it had practiced–and whether the school’s emergency communications systems were up to the task. Security experts say that emergency plans can break down if students and staff are not trained on how to comply with the plans. Kenneth Trump of Cleveland-based National School and Safety Services also says that communications is often the first critical element of an emergency response plan that breaks down when an emergency occurs. Virginia Tech officials say they are still working on an emergency communications system that would send text messages to the cell phones of students and staff, but the system is not yet ready. Virginia Tech President Charles Steger said that security on his campus will be much tighter in the future, but he also says, “We obviously can’t have an armed guard in front of every classroom every day of the year.” When asked why he did not lock down the entire campus, Steger noted that thousands of commuting students were arriving for their morning classes, heading from the parking lots to all parts of the large campus. “Where do you lock them down?” he asked. Steger also noted that university officials did not have the luxury of hindsight–authorities had no reason to suspect that a second shooting would occur, based on their belief that the first shooting was merely a domestic dispute and that the gunman had fled campus. “You can only make a decision based on the information you know at that moment in time,” Steger said.
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Security On Campus, Inc. is a unique 501(c)(3) non-profit grass roots organization dedicated to safe campuses for college and university students. It was co-founded in 1987 by Connie & Howard Clery, following the murder of their daughter at Lehigh University. Jeanne Clery was a freshman when she was beaten, raped and murdered in her dormitory room on April 5, 1986. Jeanne’s assailant was another Lehigh student who murdered Jeanne during his attempt to commit robbery as she slept. They did not know each other.

http://www.securityoncampus.org/aboutsoc/index.html

What Female Travelers Need to Know”
Security Management (03/07) Vol. 51, No. 3, P. 62 ; Radloff, Darlene 

All employees face risks when traveling and need to be trained to increase their awareness of these risks, but female employees should receive extra attention to prepare them for the unique risks they may be exposed to while traveling. For example, American women traveling abroad could unknowingly breach a cultural practice that places them at increased risk of being raped. In some countries it is considered a sign of respect for females to sit in the front seat, while in other countries a woman who sits in the front seat is considered to be making a sexual advance toward the driver. When selecting a hotel for traveling employees, travel planners should ensure that the hotel has a reputation for being secure and for keeping female travelers safe. Some hotels have floors that are reserved for “women only” to reduce the chance of stalking attacks. Employees are advised to request a hotel room between the second and seventh floors due to the twin threats of street crime and fire. Female employees should request rooms that are not directly across from stairwell doors, because attackers have been known to hide behind these doors and attack the unwary. Likewise, female travelers should not be placed in rooms at the isolated ends of hallways.
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