ASSET RECOVERY – The act, instance, process, or duration of
recovering something of value.
AVIATION SECURITY – Any security in regards the operation of
aircraft.
C.I.S. provides in-flight security from hangar-to-hangar, also; on the
ground security at airports, airport business offices, and maintenance
offices. Our investigators conduct various types of aviation-related
investigation, including background searches, embezzlement, theft,
fraud, and sabotage.
BACKGROUND INVESTIGATIONS – Investigating the criminal,
professional, educational, and sometimes personal background of a
subject, often prior to or during employment.
CELEBRITY STALKING – The act or crime of willfully and repeatedly
following or harassing a person, usually an entertainer, in
circumstances that would cause a reasonable person to fear injury or
death esp. because of express or implied threats.
COURT ESCORTS –Provision of armed or unarmed security to and from
a court of law, often during times of testimony or case conflict.
COMPLIANCE AGENT– A natural person who is the owner of, or
employed by, a licensed private security services business. The
compliance agent shall assure the compliance of the private security
service business with all applicable requirements.
COVERT / OVERT SECURITY – Any security given to a client that is
known to the public, or unknown to the public. Uniformed Security Agents
would be an example of overt security, while a plain clothed Security
Agent would be an example of covert security. The same can be said for
electronic security that can be detected by the untrained eye (overt),
and electronic security that can not be detected (covert).
CRISIS MANAGEMENT – Assessment, planning , and implementation of
security and risk analysis related plans before, during or after a
threat arises to people, property or things.
Crises are extreme events that cause significant disruption and put
lives and property at risk - situations distinct from ‘business as
usual.” These would include civilian and judicial crises management,
e.g., natural and man-made disasters including such threats as the use
of weapons of mass destruction by terrorists (nuclear and biomedical and
chemical attacks). The essential nature of crises response in all these
cases is not dissimilar. And it is this “similarity” in need for
advanced computing, communications and information technology that mark
Capital International Security as unique. C.I.S. supports the generic
and common use of such research and technologies across all sectors of
society. Each sector regardless of size or scale has common crisis
management needs. Many of the requirements established by the urgent,
disruptive nature of any crises and the research opportunities
identified are generally applicable to all crisis.
As used by C.I.S.“Crisis Management” encompasses activities ranging from
the immediate response to mitigation and preparedness efforts that are
aimed at reducing the impact of future events and take place over a
longer time period. The following four commonly described phases of
crisis management are referred to throughout this proposal:
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“Crisis Response” is dedicated to the immediate protection of life
and property. It requires urgent action and the coordinated application
of resources, facilities, and efforts beyond those regularly available
to handle routine problems. The response phase includes action taken
before the actual crisis event (e.g., when a hurricane warning or threat
is received), in response to the immediate impact of a crisis, and as
sustained effort during the course of the emergency. Actions taken
during the buildup of a crisis situation are designed to increase an
organization’s ability to respond effectively and might include briefing
government officials, reviewing plans, preparing information for release
to the public, updating lists of resources, and testing warning and
communications systems. Pre-impact warning systems may be activated,
resources mobilized, emergency operations centers activated, emergency
instructions issued to the public and evacuation begun. The emphasis is
on saving lives, controlling the situation, and minimizing the effects
of the disaster. Crisis response includes the logistics of getting
medical care, food, water, shelter, and rescue teams to the scene.
Regional, state, and federal resources may be provided to assist with
helping those affected and reducing secondary damage, and response
support facilities may be established.
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“Recovery” encompasses both short-term activity intended to return
vital life-support systems to operation and longer-term activities
designed to return infrastructure systems to pre-disaster conditions.
This process is much slower than response, involves administrative work,
and is subject to regulations of many kinds (e.g., building codes). Much
of this work takes place in an office and requires an appropriate set of
tools and supporting network (voice and data) capabilities.
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“Mitigation”, now recognized as the foundation of successful
crisis management, is the ongoing effort to reduce the impact of
disasters on people and property. Mitigation includes steps such as
keeping homes from being constructed in known floodplains, proper
engineering of bridges to withstand earthquakes, strengthening crisis
service facilities such as fire stations and hospitals, and establishing
effective building codes to protect property from hurricanes.
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“Preparedness” covers a range of activities taken in advance of a
crisis. It includes day-to-day training and exercises as part of
increased readiness, as well as development and revision of plans to
guide crisis response and to increase available resources. Preparedness
is enhanced by training crisis responders who may be called into action
in the event of an emergency Information technology contributes to a
variety of preparedness efforts. For instance, the software tool HAZUS,
a product developed by the National Institute for Building Sciences in
cooperation with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA),
simulates a postulated earthquake and provides a map-based analysis of
casualties, infrastructure and building damage, and dollar losses
expected. Another dimension of preparedness is the development,
improvement, and testing of information and communications resources
required for all phases of crisis management. Systems for remote sensing
are identified and developed, and the use of information Technology
tools is practiced, including how to integrate the multiple information
resources that are likely to be needed in a crisis.
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DIVORCE
INVESTIGATIONS – the dissolution of a valid marriage granted esp. on
specified statutory grounds (as adultery) arising after the marriage.
Note: The most common grounds for divorce are absence from the marital
home, drug or alcohol addiction, adultery, cruelty, conviction of a
crime, desertion, insanity, and nonsupport.
C.I.S. Private Investigators are specialists in information gathering.
Their work in covert / overt investigations regarding CIVIL cases is
Confidential, Discreet, and Professional. Whether recovering stolen
assets, putting together a threat assessment, risk analysis report,
travel advice and report, or putting together a case for a personal
injury investigation, worker’s compensation investigation, or divorce /
custody case, C.I.S. Private Investigators are there to collect, record,
and testify for you, the client.
DEPARTMENT OF CRIMINAL JUSTICE SERVICES (D.C.J.S.) – The regulatory
agency of the state regarding the private security industry.
DOMESTIC VIOLENCE– Violence committed by one family or household member
against another.
FINANCIAL FRAUD – Any act, expression, omission, or concealment
calculated to deceive another to his or her disadvantage. A
misrepresentation or concealment with reference to some fact material to
a transaction that is made with knowledge of its falsity or in reckless
disregard of its truth or falsity and with the intent to deceive another
and that is reasonably relied on by the other who is injured thereby.
C.I.S. private investigators, forensic accounting specialists, and or
special response team can work with an individual, company, or
government entity in the gathering, disseminating, and prosecution of
financial or accounting fraud by outside parties, employees, or
executives.
HOTEL SECURITY – Any security regarding the operation of a hotel, or
hotels.
INTERNATIONAL PROTECTION – Any security protection given a client when
outside the borders of their own home country.
LEGAL RESEARCH & INFORMATION – The gathering, reading, and disseminating
of information pertaining to law.
KIDNAP - To seize and confine, or carry away by force or fraud, and
often with a demand for ransom.
MARITIME SECURITY– Protection of personnel or property related to
water-based travel, marine assets, or maritime-related security
assessment, planning and implementation.
All people above a certain age remember where they were when they heard
that President Kennedy had been assassinated. In years to come people
will likewise compare notes about how they first heard of the terrorist
attacks on the World Trade Center.
11 September 2001 changed the international political agenda. Heightened
diplomatic tension has given rise to new strategic alliances in the
fight against terrorism. In the United States Homeland Security has
become a top priority.
The shipping industry is in no way immune from this activity, and
maritime security has taken its place alongside maritime safety and
environmental protection at the head of the IMO work programme. Shipping
may have played no part in the atrocities of 11 September, but it cannot
be denied that a ship could have a central role in a determined
terrorist attack, whether to transport weapons of destruction or to act
as a weapon itself.
In the immediate aftermath of the attacks ICS produced Guidance for Ship
owners, Ship Operators and Masters on the Protection of Ships from
Terrorism and Sabotage. This advice, which was well received by both the
industry and administrations, was also submitted to IMO in preparation
for a rapidly convened and US funded meeting of an Intersessional
Working Group on Ship Security in February 2002.
The initiative for inter-governmental action has inevitably come
principally from the United States, with most other nations broadly
sympathetic to their objectives. ICS has likewise made it clear that it
fully supports the need for the shipping industry to contribute to the
security of ships and seafarers.
The Intersessional Working Group addressed a series of United States
proposals aimed principally at incorporating enhanced security measures
into an amended Chapter XI of the SOLAS Convention. Some of these
proposals, such as the development of ship and port security plans and
the designation of company, ship and port security officers, seem a
natural and reasonable reaction to today’s changed circumstances. ICS
has made proposals on the outline of an approved ship security plan and
also, together with the International Association of Ports and Harbors,
on the development of port security plans.
Other proposals, including the accelerated fitting of automatic
identification systems (AIS), raise practical issues which need to be
carefully addressed. Ship recognition is of course important in the
context of maritime security, but there must be some doubt whether the
equipment can be manufactured and installed on the entire international
fleet by the suggested date of 2004. The related proposition to extend
the range of AIS so that ships can be "spotted" far out at sea also
raises questions and has been passed to the IMO experts for further
study.
More sensitive, perhaps, is the debate about seafarers’ identification.
Ships trade internationally, and by definition most seafarers will
therefore be "foreign". But seafarers are no more likely to be
terrorists than any other group of people, and both ship owners and
unions have strongly rejected the implication that seafarers are somehow
guilty until proved innocent. In the same way, most administrations have
rejected the call for background checks on seafarers, aware of the
conflict with human rights and the privacy of the individual.
On the other hand, a ship clearly can present a security threat, however
theoretical, and seafarers coming ashore for leave or crew changes have
access to potentially sensitive areas. So the industry has welcomed
efforts to develop a better international understanding on seafarers’
identification requirements and is supporting the intention of the
International Labour Organization to revise ILO Convention 108 on the
subject, the industry input on this issue being coordinated by ISF. Ship
owners have stressed the need for a balance between ensuring the
positive identification of a seafarer and allowing him or her the
opportunity for shore leave and the freedom to join or leave a ship.
Furthermore, personal identification is not just an issue affecting
seafarers. Perhaps the biggest single contributor to the security of
ships themselves would be a rigorously applied rule that all persons
requiring access to a vessel in port carry recognized identity
documents.
Undoubtedly the most difficult aspect of maritime security to address
effectively is the security of containers, which are routinely packed
and Customs-sealed far inland. Documentation is not always promptly
received, and the sheer volume of containers traveling the world at any
moment makes physical inspection of more than a small minority quite
impossible without disrupting maritime commerce in a way which would be
unacceptable to governments and consumers alike. Improved information,
not least between Customs authorities, must be the principal instrument
for tackling this question, so that containers can be selected for
inspection in a properly targeted manner. Improved technology also has a
part to play, with more effective Customs seals and enhanced probes
receiving much attention.
Shipping must not be allowed to become a soft target for terrorism.
Ultimately, however, a balance will have to be struck between the
potentially conflicting demands of tighter security and the free flow of
trade, and this will be an important consideration for governments and
industry alike as discussions continue towards a conference in December
2002 to adopt the agreed amendments to SOLAS Chapter XI.
MISSING PERSONS INVESTIGATIONS– Investigations conducted regarding a
person, or persons (male or female) who have not been seen or heard from
for some amount of time. The report is usually filed because the
“missing” person has not followed one or more subjective, or objective
actions known to them by family, friends, or co-workers. Phrases like:
“I have a gut feeling something is wrong”, “This is not like her”, “I
know there is something wrong”, are usually the norm. There may be
evidence of a problem, or the report may be purely subjective.
OIL & GAS SECURITY– Security related to personnel within the oil and
gas industries, or protection of related assets.
PERSONAL INJURY- An injury to one's body, mind, or emotions.
C.I.S. conducts personal injury investigations regarding private and
public transportation.
PERSONAL PROTECTION – The act of providing close protection, from bodily
harm to any specific person, as opposed to general physical security.
PERSONAL PROTECTION SPECIALIST– Any person who specializes and engages
in the duties of providing close protection from bodily harm to any
person, as opposed to providing general security; i.e., in layman’s
terms, a “bodyguard”.
C.I.S Security Agents have the experience of protecting heads of state,
corporate heads, movie, T.V., and music celebrities, and private
citizens under every conceivable circumstance pertaining to security.
Our male / female security agents can operate covertly / overtly
depending on the needs, wishes, or circumstances of each individual
client.
A few general areas of personal protection C.I.S. can provide for are:
crisis management, celebrity stalking, workplace violence, aviation
security, maritime security, VIP and executive protection, special
response teams, travel security, and children’s security, KPACS, and
domestic violence security.
PRIVATE INVESTIGATION – The act obtaining information on (1) crimes or
civil wrongs; (2) the location, disposition, or recovery of stolen
property; (3) the cause of accidents, fires, damages, or injuries to
persons or to property; (4) evidence to be used before any court, board,
officer, or investigative committee.
PRIVATE INVESTIGATOR (P.I.)– Any natural person who engages in the
business of, or accepts employment to make, investigations to obtain
information on (1) crimes or civil wrongs; (2) the location,
disposition, or recovery of stolen property; (3) the cause of accidents,
fires, damages, or injuries to persons or to property; (4) evidence to
be used before any court, board, officer, or investigative committee.
C.I.S. Private Investigators are specialists in information gathering.
Their work in covert / overt investigations regarding CIVIL or CRIMINAL
cases is Confidential, Discreet, and Professional. Whether recovering
stolen assets, putting together a threat assessment, risk analysis
report, travel advice and report, or putting together a case for a
personal injury investigation, worker’s compensation investigation, or
divorce / custody case, C.I.S. Private Investigators are there to
collect, record, and testify for you, the client.
PRIVATE INVESTIGATOR INDEPENDENT CONTRACTOR (P.I.I.C.)- Any natural
person who engages in the business of, or accepts employment to make,
investigations to obtain information on (1) crimes or civil wrongs; (2)
the location, disposition, or recovery of stolen property; (3) the cause
of accidents, fires, damages, or injuries to persons or to property; (4)
evidence to be used before any court, board, officer, or investigative
committee, who also; meets the regulations, certification, training, and
standards of the host state or province, to operate their own business,
or enterprise.
PROTECTIVE CHAUFFER – A fully licensed chauffer, who also carries the
credentials needed to be qualified as a security agent.
RISK ANALYSIS REPORTS–Written information usually collected, quantified
and provided to the client related to study, planning, and action, in
prevention of harm to persons, information, and assets.
C.I.S. can provide up-to-date Risk Analysis Reporting on any country and
province in the World. Information is gathered, disseminated, and
reported from dozens of sources, both private and government.
SECURITY AGENT (S.A.)– A specific C.I.S. designation for any natural
person who engages in the duties of providing close protection from
bodily harm to any person.
SECURITY AGENT in CHARGE (S.A.C.) – A specific C.I.S. designation for
any natural person who engages in the duties of providing close
protection from bodily harm to any person, who is also the supervisor of
the security detail.
SECURITY AGENT INDEPENDENT CONTRACTOR (S.A.I.C.)– A specific C.I.S.
designation for any natural person who engages in the duties of
providing close protection from bodily harm to any person, and also;
meets the regulations, training, certification, and standards of the
host state or province, to operate their own business, or enterprise.
SECURITY AGENT in CHARGE INDEPENDENT CONTRACTOR (S.A.C.I.C.) – A
specific C.I.S. designation for any natural person who engages in the
duties of providing close protection from bodily harm to any person, who
is the supervisor of the detail, and also; meets the regulations,
certification, training, and standards of the host state or province, to
operate their own business, or enterprise. .
SECURITY GUARD (S.G.) – Any natural person employed by a private
security business to (1) safeguard and protect persons and property or
(2) prevent theft, loss, or concealment of any tangible or intangible
personal property on the premises contracted to protect.
Guards patrol and inspect property to protect against fire, theft,
vandalism, and illegal entry. Their duties vary with the size, type, and
location of their employer.
In office buildings, banks, hospitals, and department stores, guards
protect records, merchandise, money, and equipment. In department
stores, they often work with undercover detectives watching for theft by
customers or store employees.
At ports, airports, and railroads, guards protect merchandise being
shipped as well as property and equipment. They insure that nothing is
stolen while being loaded or unloaded, and watch for fires, prowlers,
and trouble among work crews. Sometimes they direct traffic
Guards who work in public buildings, such as museums or art galleries,
protect paintings and exhibits. They also answer routine questions from
visitors and sometimes guide traffic.
In factories, laboratories, government buildings, data processing
centers, and military bases where valuable property or information must
be protected, guards check the credentials of persons and vehicles
entering and leaving the premises. University, park, or recreation
guards perform similar duties and also may issue parking permits and
direct traffic.
At social affairs, sports events, conventions, and other public
gatherings, guards maintain order, give information, and watch for
persons who may cause trouble.
In a large organization, a security officer often is in charge of the
guard force; in a small organization, a single worker may be responsible
for security. Patrolling usually is done on foot, but if the property is
large, guards may make their rounds by car or motor scooter.
As they make their rounds, guards check all doors and windows, see that
no unauthorized persons remain after working hours, and insure that fire
extinguishers, alarms, sprinkler systems, furnaces, and various
electrical and plumbing systems are working properly. They sometimes set
thermostats or turn on lights for janitorial workers.
Guards usually are uniformed and often carry a nightstick and gun. They
also may carry a flashlight, whistle, two-way radio, and a watch
clock--a device that indicates the time at which they reach various
checkpoints.
Working Conditions:
Guards work indoors and outdoors patrolling buildings, industrial
plants, and grounds. Indoors, they may be stationed at a guard desk to
monitor electronic security and surveillance devices or check the
credentials of persons entering or leaving the premises. They also may
be stationed at gate shelters or may patrol grounds in all weather.
Since guards often work alone, no one is nearby to help if an accident
or injury occurs. Some large firms, therefore, use a reporting service
that enables guards to be in constant contact with a central station
outside the plant. If they fail to transmit an expected signal, the
central station investigates. Guard work is usually routine, but guards
must be constantly alert for threats to themselves and to the property
that they are protecting. Guards who work during the day may have a
great deal of contact with other employees and members of the public.
Many guards work alone at night; the usual shift lasts 8 hours. Some
employers have three shifts where guards rotate to divide daytime,
weekend, and holiday work equally. Guards usually eat on the job instead
of taking a regular break.
Although guard jobs are found throughout the country, most are located
in metropolitan areas.
Training, Other Qualifications, and Advancement
Most employers prefer guards who are high school graduates. Applicants
with less than a high school education also can qualify if they pass
reading and writing tests and demonstrate competence in following
written and oral instructions. Some jobs require a driver's permit.
Employers also seek people who have had experience in the military
police or in State and local police departments. Most persons who enter
guard jobs have prior work experience, although it is usually unrelated.
Because of limited formal training requirements and flexible hours, this
occupation attracts many persons seeking a second job. For some
entrants, retired from military careers or other protective services,
guard employment is a second career.
Applicants are expected to have good character references, no police
record, good health--especially in hearing and vision--and good personal
habits such as neatness and dependability. They should be mentally alert
and emotionally stable. Guards must be physically fit to cope with
emergencies.
Candidates for guard jobs in the Federal Government must have some
experience as a guard and pass a written examination. Armed Forces
experience also is an asset. For most Federal guard positions,
applicants must qualify in the use of firearms.
The amount of training guards receive varies. Training requirements
generally are increasing as modern, highly sophisticated security
systems become more commonplace. Many employers give newly hired guards
instruction before they start the job and also provide several weeks of
on-the-job training. Guards at nuclear power plants may undergo several
months of training before being placed on duty under close supervision.
Guards may be taught to use firearms, to administer first aid, to
operate alarm systems and electronic security equipment, and to spot and
deal with security problems. Guards who are authorized to carry firearms
may be periodically tested in their use according to State or local
laws. Some guards are periodically tested for strength and endurance.
Although guards in small companies receive periodic salary increases,
advancement is likely to be limited. However, most large organizations
use a military type of ranking that offers advancement in position and
salary. Guard experience enables some persons to transfer to police jobs
that offer higher pay and greater opportunities for advancement. Guards
with some college education may advance to jobs that involve
administrative duties or the prevention of espionage and sabotage. A few
guards with management skills open their own contract security guard
agencies.
Job openings for persons seeking work as guards are expected to be
plentiful through the year 2000. High turnover in this large occupation
makes it rank among those providing the greatest number of job openings
in the entire economy. Many opportunities are expected for persons
seeking full-time employment, as well as for those seeking part-time or
second jobs at night or on weekends. However, competition is expected
for in-house guard positions. Compared to contract security guards,
in-house guards enjoy higher earnings and benefits, greater job
security, and more advancement potential, and are usually given more
training and responsibility.
Employment of guards is expected to grow much faster than the average
for all occupations through the year 2000. Increased concern about
crime, vandalism and terrorism will heighten the need for security in
and around plants, stores, offices, and recreation areas. The level of
business investment in increasingly expensive plant and equipment is
expected to rise, resulting in growth in the number of guard jobs.
Demand for guards will also grow as private security firms increasingly
perform duties--such as monitoring crowds at airports and providing
security in courts--formerly handled by government police officers and
marshals.
Guards employed by industrial security and guard agencies occasionally
are laid off when the firm where they work for does not renew its
contract with their agency. Most are able to find employment with other
agencies, however. Guards employed directly by the firm at which they
work are seldom laid off because a plant or factory must still be
protected even when economic conditions force it to close temporarily.
Unionized in-house guards tend to earn more than the average. Many
guards are represented by the United Plant Guard Workers Of America.
Other guards belong to the International Union of Guards or the
International Union of Security Officers.
Guards protect property, maintain security, and enforce regulations for
entry and conduct in the establishments at which they work. Related
security and protective service occupations include: Bailiffs, border
guards, correction officers, deputy sheriffs, fish and game wardens,
house or store detectives, police officers, and private investigators.
SECURITY GUARD ARMED (S.G.A.) – Any security guard who carries, or has
immediate access to a firearm in the performance of his duties.
SECURITY GUARD UNARMED (S.G.U.) – Any security guard who does not carry,
or have immediate access to a firearm in the performance of his duties.
SPECIAL RESPONSE TEAMS– A group, or collection of individuals formed
for a selected purpose; the group may not always be formed of
individuals with the same occupation, but placed together for their own
unique talents, or abilities.
A CIS Special Response Team may be created for criminal, or civil
investigations, or for reasons of security involving protection, an
attack, workplace violence, a strike, or a multitude of other demands
where immediacy is required.
STALKING - The act or crime of willfully and repeatedly following or
harassing another person in circumstances that would cause a reasonable
person to fear injury or death especially because of express or implied
threats.
STRIKE SECURITY – Any security placed, or used in the prevention of acts
or violence, sabotage, or other events surrounding a strike.
SURVEILLANCE– Close observation of a person or group, especially one
under suspicion.
THREAT ASSESSMENTS – Investigations, interviews, historical fact
gathering, and reporting of security related events surrounding persons,
places, or things, with relation to the potential realization of a
threat.
TRAVEL PROTECTION– Security related to the protection of an individual,
a group, or a thing between any number of places.
C.I.S. can provide full service security for individuals or groups
traveling anywhere in the United States or abroad. What do we mean by
full service? We can provide travel plans, your choice of vehicle, or
vehicles, and security agents for the entire trip. C.I.S. security
agents have provided protection from heads of state to laymen.
V.I.P. & EXECUTIVE PROTECTION– A security phrase used for close
personal protection related clients often in: entertainment, corporate
management, and executive government.
C.I.S Security Agents have the experience of protecting heads of state,
corporate heads, movie, T.V., and music celebrities, and private
citizens under every conceivable circumstance pertaining to security.
Our male / female security agents can operate covertly / overtly
depending on the needs, wishes, or circumstances of each individual
client.
VENUE SECURITY - Security related to a predetermined site or area
usually of a short length of time (less than a week), such as trade
shows, parties, sporting events, concerts, social gatherings, stock
holders meetings, book signings, etc.
VICTIM ESCORT– Providing safe passage to a person under active threat
of harm or to whom harm has been expressly carried out in the past.
WORKERS COMPENSATION– Compensation for injury to an employee arising
out of and in the course of employment that is paid to the worker or
dependents by an employer whose strict liability for such compensation
is established by statute.
Note: Where established by statute, workers' compensation is generally
the exclusive remedy for injuries arising from employment, with some
exceptions. Workers' compensation statutes commonly include explicit
exclusions for injury caused intentionally, by willful misconduct, and
by voluntary intoxication from alcohol or illegal drugs.
C.I.S. private investigators record and document evidence pertaining to
a worker’s actions while collecting worker’s compensation insurance.
This evidence may be gathered by video, and tape recordings, witness
interviews, and other tangible evidence.
WORKPLACE VIOLENCE – Violent acts, including physical assaults and
threats of assault, directed toward persons at work, or related to the
work environment.
Article – “Workplace Violence in America: A Current Challenge to Today’s
Private Security Professionals”
Violence in the workplace was epidemic in America before 9/11. Each year
employers report 2,000,000 assaults in the workplace (it is estimated
that five assaults occur for every one reported); nearly half a million
of these are seriously injured; 51,000 are reported raped or otherwise
sexually assaulted (it is estimated that ten sexual assaults occur for
every one reported); 1,000 are murdered, according to the Bureau of
Labor Statistics. Additionally, each day thousands of employees are
harassed, intimidated, threatened and verbally abused. Workplace
homicide was already the number one killer of women in the workplace
and, depending on the interpretation you prefer, number one or two for
men and women combined. This, of course, was before 9/11.
Workplace violence, in many ways, "fell through the cracks" prior to
9/11 because safety professionals largely felt it was a security issue
and security professionals largely felt it was a safety issue. Both
groups took some halting steps toward addressing the problem but both
came from very different points of view. It's time to further blur the
line between safety and security in this issue. Whether you call it
"safety" or "security", the American worker needs to feel protected from
violence.
Violence in America is epidemic with over 15,500 homicides reported
annually but when adjusted for estimated unreported incidents the
estimate may double that. Assaults reported equal 7,560,000 but adjusted
for estimated unreported incidents total 37,800,000. Burglary reports
are over 2 million annually and when adjusted for estimated unreported
incidents exceed 2,500,000. Sexual assaults reported are over 500,000
but when adjusted for estimated unreported incidents the total exceeds
5,000,000.
The American crime clock ticks off one murder every 23.9 minutes, one
assault every .83 seconds, one burglary every 13 seconds, and one sexual
assault every 6 seconds.
Violence in the American Workplace mirrors the general statistics. More
Americans are murdered at work than die at work from any other cause.
OSHA reports 1,000 workplace homicides per year and when adjusted for
estimated incidents not reported to OSHA exceeds 1,500 per year.
Assaults in the workplace are estimated by OSHA at 2 million per year
with other estimates as high as 10 million per year. Sexual assaults in
the workplace are estimated by OSHA at 51,000 per year with other
estimates as high as 500,000 per year.
Estimates of the economic impact of workplace violence range from $70
million to $200 million annually. Workplace violence results in
1,175,100 lost work days annually, $55 million in lost wages annually,
lost productivity, legal expenses, property damage, diminished public
image, and Increased security costs. |