AU Blogspot

 
              Thanks to lucianvenutian for permission to use this Photo.

It’s true that controversy is often manufactured by “the media” to create “news,” but I find the the issue of sex offenders’ rights, particularly those convicted of crimes against children, to only be controversial if seen through a filter more theoretical than pragmatic. In legal theory, the general question of whether a mandated process of full disclosure violates the rights of these offenders is a legitimate one.  However; there is no moral equivalency between the rights afforded say someone convicted of a felony property crime in the past vs. someone convicted of a felony sex offense.  Yes, I would like to know if the guy next store to me was convicted a burglary 10 years ago, but I can ultimately accept living in the dark to preserve this individual’s right to live freely in society after paying his debt.  On the contrary, I would not accept living in the dark when it comes to compromising the safety of a defenseless child to protect the rights of a pedophile.   

There’s also a disturbing element of political correctness influencing how communities see their role in protecting their own children.  If, because of the law, there is no way to prevent a sex offender from moving into your neighborhood, it’s apparent that the instrument used to enforce the law (the police) can not be turned to for help unless it’s “after the fact.”  What does a community do under these circumstances?  

The media often characterizes communities who make it known that such offenders are not welcome as some type of vigilante mob.  This is absurd.  Yes, there are extreme cases where community members violently assault an offender to get the point across, but these are few and far between, which is why they make “the news.”  The communities that have succeeded in removing these offenders from their neighborhoods have done so through organized protests, house eggings, and tactical use of the media to apply pressure.   Although politically incorrect and offensive to legal scholars, I find these resourceful methods of forced exclusion to be perfectly reasonable.

What do you think?     

Ryan Rode
Interactive Services Manager
Ashworth School Of Legal Studies

 
             Thanks to suite100gallery for permission to use this Photo.

A recent U.S. Court case and new research are focusing attention on “workplace bullying,” prompting some employers to take steps to curb aggressive behavior.

There has been a lot of news articles lately regarding bullies in the work place. There was a time in the not-too-distant past that the word bully conjured up memories of the school yard bully, or the neighborhood bully. Not so anymore. According to a recent 2007 survey of 1,000 U.S. Workers, 44% said they had worked for a boss they considered abusive. The survey was sponsored by the Employment Law Alliance, an association of 3,000 employment lawyers.

This year, two Canadian professors concluded bullying can take a more severe emotional and physical toll than sexual harassment, perhaps because companies provide greater support for victims of the latter. In a review of 110 studies spanning two decades, the researchers found that bullied employees were more likely than sexually harassed employees to quit, report physical and mental health problems, and be dissatisfied with their jobs.

Garry Mathiason, a senior partner at Littler Mendelson, a leading employment-law firm, says more corporate clients are raising the issue, motivated by legal questions, as well as concerns about the impact on productivity. Littler Mendelson featured bullying among its “breaking trends” in labor law at a conference for U.S. Employers this year.

Dr. Ruth and Dr. Gary Namie equate workplace bullying with Psychological Violence in work.  Their site Workplace Bullying Institute is an in-depth resource for anyone who feels they are a victim of workplace bullying.

Roger Mezger reported in the Cleveland Plain Dealer on July 26, 2004 that, “Some of the most common bullying tactics, according to a 2000 survey, include making unreasonable demands, yelling and screaming, insulting or putting down a worker, taking credit for someone else’s work, blaming others for mistakes, casting doubt on the quality of another’s work, creating arbitrary rules and isolating a worker. You can read his entire article by clicking here.

Betty Ray Mydland
Student
Ashworth Criminal Justice Program

The creation of the Criminal Justice “Study Hall” forum was inspired by one of your fellow students: Betty Ray Mydland.  The general concept behind this particular forum or “Study Hall” is to provide students in our various Criminal Justice programs with a dedicated “space” to openly discuss criminal justice program issues, lessons, topics, careers, questions, news, ideas, etc.

Thanks to Betty for this excellent recommendation. Well, the forum has been created. It’s up to our forum community to spread the word and get as many of your peers engaged as possible. I’m really looking forward to watching this Study Hall evolve. 

If you haven’t registered for the Ashworth University Student Forum yet, take a minute to do so.  It literally only takes a minute before you’re ready to join the discussion. 

We encourage all of our Criminal Justice/Legal Studies students to begin participating in this new Study Hall today!  Get involved with your student community!

Here’s the link:

Criminal Justice Study Hall Forum

Ryan Rode
Interactive Services Manager
Ashworth University

                Thanks to Roxanne for permission to use this Photo.

Whether you are a security manager or a security guard, you may be faced with the problem of employees carrying guns to work. It may be your company policy to not permit guns in the workplace, but many employees have sued for the right to keep them in their cars for protection.  Often, the corporate policy may not be in sync with the state laws on permitting guns on private property. I’ve worked where guns are absolutely not permitted in the workplace or on the grounds, yet many did in fact carry guns in their cars in violation.

Recently a federal court in Oklahoma ruled that employers have the right to prohibit firearms from privately owned vehicles parked on site. This decision was based on OSHA, because employers are required to reduce hazards in the workplace that could lead to harm or death.  Use this ruling as a guideline to help your corporation if the issue arises. It’s a very sticky situation to pit the rights of private property owners against the right to bear arms.

Learn what your state laws are in regards to this issue and clearly state and distribute your company policy regarding the carrying of weapons onto company property.

Terry Cochran, CPP
Ashworth University Security Management/Services Instructor

A new book has been published that I must recommend to anyone with physical security responsibilities. It’s the “Integrated Physical Security Handbook” by Don Philpott, Senior Editor of Homeland Defense Journal and Shuki Einstein, International expert on Mission Critical Facilities Design and Engineering. It’s pricey at $149, but worth it. I’m already referring to it on almost a daily basis. Take a look at it at www.physicalsecurityhandbook.org.

I do not get any compensation at all for recommending this book. It’s purely a viewpoint from a professional.

Terry Cochran, CPP, CAS
Security Management Instructor
Ashworth University School Of Legal Studies

                  Thanks to andreashelke for permission to use this Photo. 

I’m in the middle of working on a very large security project. As a security professional, I am expected to outline a schedule (delivery of work) and a price per job or hour to my client based on their scope of work. This isn’t an easy thing to do. You can often underestimate time and end up losing money. There are several books available on security consulting and estimating—my recommended place to start is www.asisonline.org.

Some areas are restricted to members, but there are other areas open to anyone, such as the bookstore.  I will put out a realistic time schedule based on my workload and usually use an hourly rate.  You lose less money by having an hourly rates, but be very careful in documenting actual time spent on a project, section by section.  Set up an invoicing schedule, too.  I recommend setting up one for every week or every other week.  The income keeps income coming in, even if on a 30 day pay on invoice.

Now, for the actual job.  I can not detail the exact work, but it’s a complete physical security plan for IT/information systems and for physical security of buildings/holdings.  Part I is already completed and was completed early and significantly under budget. The customer loves this aspect, as the exact amount of time and money was very much unknown at the start of the project. 

How did I do it? 

I didn’t reinvent the wheel, that’s what. 

I belong to ASIS and utilized the resources available through my professional organization to see what open source material was already available.  I then added my expertise to these resources to create a viable program for the client.  This “open” approach to research and planning saved us both time and money.

The second part of this project will nearly be developed ”from scratch.”  Research has shown that this particular physical security plan has been done in small areas, but not comprehensively.  Consequently, I’ll be responsible for developing a plan on a comprehensive scale, which will require a more time intensive effort on my part.  Once again, I’ll consult ASIS is consulted for resources for this particular specialty field, contact other members for input, and embark on tours of similar facilities to gain a firsthand perspective of the unique security issues I’ll be addressing.

Just as in the security management course I teach here at Ashworth University; I utilize the criticality, vulnerability, risk assessment and LAYER security from the inside out—making sure that my goal is to protect people first, then information and property. If you are graduating and getting your first job, or starting out as a consultant, remember that experience is your number one asset.  Don’t worry if you don’t have a lot of experience right now.  You’ll build up to that over time.

For starters, I encourage you to begin developing relationships with working security professionals.  It’s also a good idea to make contacts in specialialty fields, as their knowledge and expertise will prove to be invaluable resources to you in the future.  

I’ll be sure to write a follow up blog when the second part of the project is finished. Once fielded, perhaps my client will allow me to disclose what it’s all about!

Terry Cochran, CPP, CAS 
Security Management Instructor
Ashworth University School Of Legal Studies

If your security career leads you to schools or universities, or if you are a school official with security responsibilities, there is a new website tool available. It is the result of the NEA’s efforts to prevent or handle emergency situations.  A person tasked with security or authority in schools can access the website to find instructions when faced with all types of emergencies. You can learn how to de-escalate a situation, handle the media, first responders and emergency management (i.e., who does what and when). The website is free . Security experts and educators worked on this site to provide the best assistance from people who have been there and done that. It does make a difference when learning from experienced experts.  Check it out!

Terry Cochran, CPP, CAS
Security Management Instructor
Ashworth University

              Thanks to Carol Esther for permission to use this Photo.

I definitely second that. I took the Reid Technique back in 2003 and have greatly benefited from the training. You learn so much about determining when a suspect is lying or telling the truth that you can apply to many activities such as interviewing job applicants or just interacting with suspects on the street. In fact, I passed the exam to attain the CRT (Certified in the Reid Technique) designation last year. Having those initials after your name is a big help in getting a good job in loss prevention.

You can find out more about seminar dates and materials at www.reid.com. Remember that the cost of job training is tax deductible!

William L. Getz, CRT
Ashworth University Student         

During your career in security, you most likely will have to interview witnesses to an event or crime. You have to be part diplomat, part devil’s advocate, part aggressor, and more. Most importantly, be a good listener. Never ask yes or no questions. Ask only open ended questions and don’t feel insecure with times of silence. Often the one you interview will fill in that silence with plenty of detail. Repetition is also a good thing. Record the interview when it’s appropriate and permitted by the one you interview. Otherwise, take notes and ask for a written statement of events from the witness.

Another important note: you may have to interview an inmate in a prison. Always find out in advance the procedures for visiting the correctional facility so as to not waste your and their time. Plan on carrying in only your credentials, ID, and a paper/pen. Nothing else. Try to remain neutral and take notes as exactly as possible.  Remember always, inmates are in there for a reason. Do not believe everything you are told. A great tool to learn effective interviewing and interrogation is the Reid Technique. Take a course or purchase/borrow the tapes for the Reid Technique of interviewing and interrogation. It’s worth it!

Terry Cochran, CPP, CAS
Security Management Instructor
Ashworth University

 
           Thanks to Robin Taylor for permission to use this Photo.

David Canter is one of the world’s foremost experts on investigative psychology, a discipline generally focusing on how psychological techniques such as behavior analysis and scientific profiling can be applied to criminal investigations.  Canter’s work is primarily characterized by the type of profiling he espouses known as scientific criminal profiling, in which human (criminal) behavior is analyzed on a systematic level—allowing investigators to identify, classify, and predict dangerous trends in both individuals and groups that bond along common lines.  The following podcast interview is a terrific introduction to David Canter’s perspectives on Terrorism, specifically his interest in more closely analyzing extremist motives or as he puts it: “what makes them tick.”  This is a must-listen for all of Ashworth’s criminal justice students.  Please share your thoughts afterwards. 

Ryan Rode
Interactive Services Manager
Ashworth University