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Archive 2007: |
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07.28.07 |
How does one develop a successful security program? How does one decide whether to use guards, alarms, and/or CCTV? If we decide to use guards, how many do we need? If cameras are the remedy of choice, how many are needed and where should they be located? Can a business have an effective security program without the use of security guards or cameras?... |
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03.14.07 |
Every year an estimated 2.1 million older Americans are victims of elder abuse. That is a modest estimate. Experts say that for every reported case, there are at least five more cases that do not come to the attention of authorities.... |
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Archive 2006: |
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Archive 2005: |
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Archive 2004: |
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05.01.04 |
The recent alerts for shopping malls in West Los Angeles emphasizes the need for preparedness. These warnings also implicitly evoke a number of other realities and responses... |
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04.01.04 |
The financial impact of security breeches on those facilities that generally afford public access has most likely been increased by tenfold. Such facilities as hospitals, hotels, office buildings, and apartment complexes, to name only a few, can expect an increased reaction by the public, spurred on by the media, as a result of the heightened sense of anxiety that exists in the country now and into the foreseeable future.... |
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03.01.04 |
SMSI Inc. is a security consulting firm dedicated to the protection of people and property. Every business may not require a full time Security Director with a six figure salary. But every business does require security expertise from time to time. |
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02.01.04 |
Every year the American public is exposed to more and more episodes of school violence. These incidents often result in serious injury and even death. For all the cases that make national headlines, there are significantly more that go no further than local media coverage. Beyond that, there are a significant number of school violence episodes that receive no media coverage. Most of these episodes will eventually result in lawsuits with the damage claims going higher with each passing year.... |
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01.01.04 |
A significant portion of security lawsuits are intentional torts. These litigations include false arrest, false imprisonment and excessive use of force. Among these intentional torts, excessive use of force is the source of a significant portion of security lawsuits. The preponderance of false arrest lawsuits occur in retail industries. However, this article will deal with the topic of the use of force. Lawsuits arising out of claims of excessive use of force can be found not only in the retail industry, but also in the hotel and casino industry, large entertainment/sports venues, the healthcare industry and the nightclub industry.... |
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Archive 2003: |
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12.01.03 |
Now is the time for any business that serves the public, to assess their vulnerabilities and risks. The impact of criminal activity on private property just got bigger.... |
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11.01.03 |
This question is often one of the first questions asked when there is a perceived security related crisis. It is also an issue raised frequently by the plaintiff's bar when lawsuits allege inadequate security.... |
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10.01.03 |
Security lawsuits are filed by plaintiffs for either what was done or for what was not done. Let's first deal with what was done (intentional torts). Intentional torts committed by security personnel include false arrest, use of excessive force, and false imprisonment, to name a few. Typically when these suits are filed against security organizations, they include assertions of negligent hiring, supervision, retention, and training.... |
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09.01.03 |
The SMSI consultation team is led by Bill Nesbitt, CPP, in California and Dick Sem, CPP, in Illinois. Our technology security expert is Ron Lander, CPP, also from California. These experienced security professionals along with other associates, represent more than 125 years of security expertise.... |
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08.01.03 |
When it comes to the adequacy of security for hospitals and nursing homes, no facilities are held to a higher standard. The courts have always held that because patients, especially pediatric and geriatric patients, are in a helpless state, they are owed a higher duty to be adequately protected.... |
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07.01.03 |
Although, officially, schools are not generally open to the public, in reality they are. Most schools do not have strict perimeter security and the ability to identify students and faculty from intruders is not always easy.... |
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06.01.03 |
One of the most vulnerable hot beds of crime are parking facilities. In fact there is a considerable body of case law that specifically deals with parking facility liability.... |
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05.01.03 |
Shopping centers have to be concerned with both exterior as well as interior security. Because of the kind of business conducted in shopping malls, there is virtually no access management, which in turn, produces vulnerability. Public safety issues are of great concern not only for liability reasons, but malls that develop a reputation for criminal activity loose traffic and, eventually, tenants.... |
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04.01.03 |
Premises liability lawsuits resulting from claims of inadequate security were on the rise before September 11. In order to prevail in a security derived premises liability lawsuit, the plaintiff must prove that the incident was foreseeable and/ or that the defendant had notice and failed to act.... |
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03.01.03 |
The application of CPTED principles provide cost effective remedies for reducing crime as well as making a property more user friendly. The roots of CPTED originally came from public housing . It was found, when investigating the root cause of crime, that design flaws actually benefited the criminal by increasing the opportunity for crime. Today CPTED principles are applied to the full range of public access facilitates.... |
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05.01.03 |
The recent warning from Homeland Security regarding general aviation will have a lasting impact on Fixed Base Operators.... |
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01.01.03 |
SMSI is pleased to add Joe Zaccaria to our team. Joe brings to SMSI more then 20 years of experience in law enforcement, crime prevention, physical security, and security design. He is a Board Certified Protection Professional. He has managed large security design, planning, and assessment projects on behalf of multi-national corporations. His work has taken him to Thailand, Malaysia, China, the Philippines, and Korea.... |
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Archive 2002: |
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12.01.02 |
Security Consultants can save a business thousands of dollars by reducing losses and minimizing liability. The security consultant can ensure that your security program hits the target like a rifle as opposed to a shotgun. Many security programs are ill-conceived and poorly designed. Many companies spend more on security than they need to, and some do not spend enough. In either case, one lawsuit can exceed the cost of the security budget for one to several years.... |
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11.01.02 |
The threat of terrorism is going to be a reality of American life for the foreseeable future. Public venues are likely to become the new soft targets. Facilities that accommodate large numbers of people must respond to this reality, especially shopping centers, hospitals, entertainment venues, and high-rise buildings. It seems less likely that the threat will come from above.... |
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10.01.02 |
The ability for the police to provide protection to the private sector on private property varies from one jurisdiction to another. It also varies with the kind of criminal activity taking place and whether that activity constitutes a felony or a misdemeanor.... |
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09.01.02 |
This may seem like a simplistic rhetorical question. Yet when one does careful analyses, we find that that these issues are often at the root cause of many lawsuits.... |
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08.01.02 |
Does every business need a fulltime Board Certified security professional as a security and loss prevention manager? The answer is "No." However, the key word in the above question is "fulltime." Every business does require security expertise several times throughout the year. Anyone who doubts this need only to look at the proliferation of security-derived lawsuits sweeping the country as just one justification. It most of these lawsuits, which are primarily premises liability suits, we find that the security manager is under-qualified. We know that a fully qualified security manager with 10 to 20 years of experience can demand a six figure salary.... |
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07.01.02 |
In public buildings where does the security responsibility for the owner/management company start and end? There is often a confused answer to this question. If you are an owner or management company, you may have one answer, while a tenant may have a different answer. This confusion is often exacerbated because there is often a variance between the defined separation of responsibility and the practice. Tenants often feel that, because security is a pass-through cost, they have the right to use security for their own purposes.... |
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06.01.02 |
Many fast-food operations as well as convenience store companies have long realized the benefits of researching the crime environment prior to investing in a new location. Additionally, that research has impacted interior, exterior, and landscape architectural design. Commercial enterprises that, heretofore, have chosen to do diligence in this area should consider this exercise as a necessity in a post 9/11 era.... |
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05.01.02 |
The SMSI consultation team members are continually being retained as security experts in cases questioning the reasonableness of a wide range of security operations. These cases usually assert some form of negligence. Philosophically, SMSI would prefer to avert this category of litigation. However, our participation in these cases keeps us on our toes and enables us to transfer lessons learned to our clients.... |
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04.01.02 |
In public buildings where does the security responsibility for the owner/management company start and end? There is often a confused answer to this question. If you are an owner or management company, you may have one answer, while a tenant may have a different answer. This confusion is often exacerbated because there is often a variance between the defined separation of responsibility and the practice. Tenants often feel that, because security is a pass-through cost, they have the right to use security for their own purposes.... |
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03.01.02 |
In this issue of SMSI Security Watch you will find photos taken at the World Trade Center Site and the Muir Office Building Site.... |
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05.01.01 |
A steady source of security litigation results from the use of untrained security personnel in nightclubs and bars. The litigation usually results from two distinct scenarios. Either the untrained security personnel fail to prevent a security problem from occurring, such as an assault, or they commit an intentional tort such as false arrest or use of excessive force.... |
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05.01.04 |
A new version of this newsletter is coming soon. In addition, SMSI will be providing the opportunity for two way dialogue between SMSI and/or with other subscribers. We will provide the opportunity to share ideas as well as pose inquiries to facilitate problem solving. Subscribers may also choose to pose questions to SMSI.... |
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