27Nov
“$8 Million Awarded in North Miami Beach Shooting Death”
Miami Herald (11/26/08) ; Hiaasen, Scott
A jury in Miami-Dade County, Fla., has decided that the owners of an apartment complex in North Miami Beach must pay $8 million in damages to the family of a man who was murdered in the property’s parking lot two years ago. The jury agreed with the plaintiff’s argument that the owners of the apartment complex, New York-based Maxx Properties, were partly responsible for the death of 27-year-old Starsky Garcia because there were no security guards or surveillance cameras at the complex despite the fact that crime in the area had increased. In addition, the owners of the apartment complex were found to be negligent in failing to fix a fallen fence and broken security gates, which in turn allowed anyone to have access the property. Maxx Properties has denied any wrongdoing. The company has not said whether it plans to appeal the verdict.
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22Nov
“Experts Say Companies Can Take Precautions to Prevent Workplace Violence”
San Jose Mercury News (CA) (11/18/08) ; Carey, Pete; Boudreau, John
Experts say that there are important things to be learned from the recent workplace killing at the Santa Clara, Calif., startup company SiPort. For instance, workers need to know what to expect when mass layoffs occur. When Intel cut its workforce by 10,500 in 2006, it did so through a well-structured procedure, said company spokesman Chuck Mulloy. In addition, startups should develop safe employee relations procedures, said Vish Mishra, the venture director at Clearstone Venture Partners and the president of the Silicon Valley networking organization The Indus Entrepreneurs. However, this is often difficult for startups, which usually have limited operations and human-relations divisions that are not properly staffed. Startups also do not have the security that large companies have, which makes it easier for disgruntled employees like SiPort engineer Jing Jua Wu to allegedly walk in with a gun and kill several of his company’s executives. Despite the limitations startups have, there are several things that they can do to protect themselves from workplace violence. For instance, security and human-resources consultants recommend not firing individuals on Fridays, as they cannot immediately go out and find another job and have time to think about how upset they are. It is also important to not allow a fired worker back into the building, particularly if there is reason for concern, and to determine his or her state of mind when the exit interview is performed. Finally, firms that do not have a security division should think about retaining a consultant to take care of the firing.
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14Nov
“Retail Theft Costs Reach $104B Annually”
Dayton Business Journal (11/13/08)
Theft costs retailers around $104 billion a year, according to the annual Global Retail Theft Barometer. Employee theft is the leading cause of “shrinkage,” or stock lost from crime, in North America. Employees stole $14.6 billion in merchandise in 2008, as well as over $9 billion in stolen cash, coupons, and gift cards. Authorities caught around 5.3 million people stealing between July 1, 2007, and June 30, 2008. Though 84.6 percent of those were customers, the average employee who was caught stole far more. The most popular products for thieves included cosmetics, alcohol, electronics, and watches. The Global Retail Theft Barometer is based on a survey of 920 large retailers around the world.
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08Nov
“In the Crosshairs”
Risk Management (11/08) Vol. 55, No. 11, P. 48 ; Gunther, Will
To minimize the impact of workplace shootings, employers should have procedures in place that alert workers as to potential danger and ensure security is aware of a breach. Some employers will develop key phrases or words to alert security and other workers to a potential threat. Employers also will want to move guards away from metal detectors and next to monitors, providing them a safe distance away from entrants so law enforcement can be alerted quickly without disruption. Once alerted, workers should move to the first available room and lock the door, and if the lock does not work, furniture should be used to barricade the door. Lights should be turned off and blinds drawn to limit visibility, and workers should step away from the door. Emergency kits must be made available to workers and should include glow-in-the-dark tape, a grease pencil, a detailed layout of the building, first-aid materials, and a flashlight. These items can help emergency workers to rescue employees and safety apprehend shooters with minimal casualties.
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