AU Blogspot

                  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

          Thanks to lucas chimello simoes for permission to use this Photo. 

We assume that because we have a justice system, it is “systematic.”  By that we mean, using the machine as a model, we expect that all parts work together toward a common result.  We assume that we are all in agreement and meshing in a well-oiled way at all levels and functions of the system.  We assume a consensus model, which we’ll examine below.  Of course, a little observation quickly derails this concept.  We know that there are pervasive conflicts in our way of doing justice.  In fact, it was designed to be an adversary system, not a consensus system; therefore, we are often forced into conflict. 

At the legislative end of the system, the great debates over drugs, guns, abortion, the death penalty, technology, security, and a host of other concerns, are routine.  Budgets are fought over.  Policies are implemented, defeated, and changed.  At the judicial end, the same arguments rage throughout the highest courts and into the lowest.  In the executive branch, where police and prosecution functions occur, the policies and decisions of the other branches of government can be resisted, disregarded, challenged, and otherwise put down.  In corrections, errors in policies, prosecution, and enforcement become painfully apparent. 

There are little empires to be protected and turfs to be safeguarded within our “system” of justice.  There is a lack of cooperation, and often there is secrecy between agencies and subcomponents.    

Remember, justice is not fairness.  What we get out of the non-system is not only unfair at times, but may also be unjust.  Errors are made, biases interfere with good judgment, and ideologies warp the outcome of trials and prosecutions.  I don’t think the system is a disaster, but I do think we must strive for the best possible outcome based on the ideal.

Dr. David Struckoff, Ph.D.
Criminal Justice Instructor
Ashworth University School of Legal Studies

          Thanks to camaraconvista for permission to use this Photo. 

One hot issue for today’s corrections professionals is punishment itself. Over the centuries, public sentiment has played a powerful role in determining what is illegal and what is an appropriate sanction for a violation of the law. Capital punishment has been the touchstone for this discussion. The death penalty is considered or even applicable for very few criminal violations. In Georgia, for example, kidnapping with bodily injury, treason, hijacking an aircraft, murder, rape, and armed robbery are capital crimes. One question both juries and those who work in the judicial system ask is, “Is death an appropriate penalty for someone who commits an offense that does not directly result in the death of another?”  

What standard should society use to determine what crimes should be capital crimes?  If religion is the grounds upon which one relies for advocating the death penalty, then the Old Testament verse calling for “an eye for an eye” implies that the death penalty is too great a punishment for crimes in which no one dies, even such crimes as rape. 

Throughout your Criminal Justice Masters Program, you will encounter a number of compelling discussions on the various theories behind punishment.  As a society, we have differing reasons for punishing different offenders, and those different theories can justify alternate forms of punishment.  If our ultimate goal is to keep offenders out of society, incarceration and even death may be appropriate. On the other hand, if our goal is to reform or rehabilitate offenders, jail may not always be the best punishment.  In the 1800’s, men who committed violent crimes were often hanged.  Meanwhile, young men found guilty of non-violent crimes “served time” by moving in with a family to help them work the farm.  The idea behind this punishment was that these men needed to be properly socialized by developing family and communal relationships.  When agrarianism gave way to industrialism, however, families no longer worked at home and, therefore, no longer needed young men to work.   

In addition, as more people lived in cities where they did not even know their neighbors, they were less likely to trust strangers or let them into their homes.  Hence, prison became the only solution society could find to keep citizens safe.  Nevertheless, one critic argues that “. . . the speed with which imprisonment superseded other traditional forms of legal punishment, and has come to represent a largely unquestioned resource of the criminal justice system, might give us pause and lead us to wonder whether it is not too convenient a device for dealing with the complexities of human failure” (Kleinig, n.d.)  Despite these questions, as well as the high cost of keeping millions of men, and now women, locked up, average citizens prefer paying the necessary taxes rather than feeling unsafe in their neighborhoods.

Jonathan B. Zeitlin, J.D. and Rachel M. Lazarus, J.D.
Ashworth University School Of Legal Studies

 
              Thanks to Anne for permission to use this Photo.

Let’s face it, when it comes to blockbuster movies and hit television shows centered around the criminal justice/legal system, the image of the paralegal, if even portrayed at all, will always remain in the shadow of the lawyer, whose’ cultural archetypes range from the honest to the corrupt to the heroic, etc.  Well, when it comes to dramatic appeal and TV-ready storylines, the paralegal profession may have found a star in the form of Susan Hu, a paralegal working for the Center For Constitutional Rights (CCR), a non-profit legal organization that has played a sometimes controversial role in the legal proceedings of detainees being held at  Guantanamo Bay.

Irrespective of your political views, the story that Susan Hu has to tell provides us with a rare glimpse into one of the most intensely debated legal issues this country has ever seen; the rights of prisoners (detainees) classified as enemy combatants.  I hope all our paralegal students realize that this profession can take you anywhere in life, including environments you could never have imagined yourself working in, i.e. Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.  Here is the video profile of Susan Hu.  I look forward to hearing your thoughts. 

Wendy Webb
Paralegal Program Instructor
Ashworth University

               Thanks to Bobby Zero for permission to use this Photo. 

A private investigator should be in top physical condition to cope with the physical demands that may be placed upon him when working in a security capacity in the event of an actual attack on his principal.  Swift reaction times may help ensure the safety of not only the principal, but of the agent as well.  Martial arts training will improve your reaction time and also teaches you one-step defensive moves to incapacitate an attacker.  I am often asked which style of martial arts is best for the protective service agent.  This is a very difficult question to answer, as each style has its own merits and faults.  One thing to keep in mind is that most self-defense training is, as the name implies, designed to protect oneself rather than another person. 

The skills involved in third-party protection are slightly different and must be kept in mind during training.  When seeking martial arts instruction, discuss your needs with the lead instructor and gain an understanding of the school’s main objective.  Many martial arts schools are involved in teaching sport karate or point fighting.  You need to seek training that employs strong defensive countermeasures.  You need to learn to take an aggressor out quickly, not spar with him.

Some of the most effective types of martial arts are hwarang do, jujitsu, aikido, hapkido, and kenpo.  This is not to say that other martial arts are not effective and helpful to the protective service agent.  The key to the training is the mindset of the instructor.  In many cases, you may be better served by individualized, personal instruction.  You should concentrate on the offensive/defensive movements required for this type of work, rather than the standard kata, which is a set or combination of positions and movements performed in sequence.

Larry W. Davis
Private Investigation Program Instructor
Ashworth University

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         

            Thanks to gardenofmagic for permission to use this Photo. 

According to the U.S. Justice Department, more than 2 million inmates incarcerated in this country have relatives who have also been incarcerated.  Now, when you do the math, that number adds up to a startling 48% of all inmates!  The statement that most criminals are “products of their environment” seems more fact than theory based on these statistics, with the home/family environment perhaps even outweighing the social/cultural environment in terms of influence, although there’s no way to accurately separate these factors since they are interconnected.  The following article discusses the criminological and sociological implications of this phenomenon with a focus on possible solutions.  Such solutions will be difficult to come by on a systematic scale, but efforts to at least identify the root causes of criminal dysfunction in the family should be treated with the utmost seriousness.  Be sure to drop in with your commentary.  I look forward to hearing from you.

Ryan Rode
Interactive Services Manager
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   

           Thanks to Stuart Crawford for permission to use this Photo.

In Illinois, you have to have a “pink card” to carry a firearm if you are working as a security guard, most places I see the security guards are armed with pepper spray. The Firearm’s card is through the company/corporation, not the individual. Meaning, if you are a security guard in IL, at a hospital for instance, you will get the firearms permit for that establishment. If you work at another place that firearms permit DOES NOT carry over, your other place of employment will submit a request for another permit.

Also, if you are an Armed Security guard in IL and take your weapon home after your shift, you are required by law to go directly home and secure your weapon after the shift is over. Security Guards have almost been arrested for taking detours (such as going to a fast food restaurant).  Some have been fired.

A guard company I was told about was enforcing this practice.  They didn’t allow the security guards to have bullet proof vests because of some liability.  I figure they believe death is cheaper than paying for medical bills.

Frederick F.
Student Blogger
Ashworth University Criminal Justice Program