Airport security personnel spend most of their time preparing for active shooter incidents, insider threats and, in concert with the federal Transportation Security Administration (TSA), potential terrorist attacks. But on January 28, many of our nation’s largest airports had to handle an entirely different, unaccustomed scenario: mass protests over immigration policy.
Since the onset of the 24-hour news cycle and the constant barrage of social media blogs, the way things are characterized seems to have evolved into creating the most sensationalized sound bite.
College campuses historically have been shy about emphasizing their security policies and procedures, not wanting anxious parents or prospective students to think that a visible security force, camera equipment or other evidence of being watchful means their students are particularly vulnerable.
In response to recent mass shootings at U.S. workplaces, 52 percent of employers have updated or implemented a “zero tolerance” workplace violence prevention policy, according to The Executive Employer Surveyfrom labor law firm Littler Mendelson.
Despite two-thirds of organizations naming active shooter as a top threat, 79 percent are not fully prepared, and more than 60 percent don't run readiness drills.
After the shooting at Columbine High School, The Advanced Law Enforcement Rapid Response Training (ALERRT) Center at Texas State University was created to instruct police officers in active-shooter response.
Workplace violence is an issue that is beginning to get more attention, but remains underreported and misunderstood. While a handful of shocking and high-profile incidents have the power to capture the public’s attention, the vast majority of incidents stay under the public radar.