Steve Cocco, President, Security Strategies Today

www.SecurityStrategiesToday.com

6 victims shot and killed in a Virginia Walmart

www.SecuritySolutionsWatch.com

In The Boardroom” on www.SecuritySolutionsWatch.com

NEW YORK, NEW YORK, US, March 1, 2023 /EINPresswire.com/ -- SecuritySolutionsWatch.com: Thank you for joining us again today, Steve. The headlines once again shocked us all on November 22, 2022, "6 victims shot and killed in a Virginia Walmart" (https://tinyurl.com/bdf7dvr4) .

One will read on your site regarding ACTIVE SHOOTER TRAINING AND WORKPLACE VIOLENCE MITIGATION...

“This is our hands-on, basic course for you and your business, religious congregation, school or other educational venue. It teaches participants the basics of the workplace violence phenomenon-how to recognize and report behavior of concern and how to train for an immediate and efficient response to an actual event so as to increase the possibility of survival and reduce the rate of injuries. This is a must-do course to address one of the most critical issues of our time.” (https://www.securitystrategiestoday.com/active-shooter-training-and-workplace-violence-mitigation/).

Please tell us more Steve about the ACTIVE SHOOTER TRAINING you provide and what are your takeaways from the tragic shooting at the Walmart in Virginia.

Steve Cocco: The Walmart shooting was another example of how we seem to fail time after time in keeping weapons out of the hands of the mentally ill or emotionally unstable. The shooter, identified as Andre Bing, had purchased the weapon he used to gun down his co-workers that very morning. There was no effective background check and no requirements for even a minimum amount of training. In the note he left before taking his own life, Bing stated that he "was being led by Satan" in committing the murders. The background checks and our will to keep weapons away from those who would threaten to use them in the manner in which Bing did is a political and societal question too broad and complicated to address here. However, our Active Shooter training course is geared to any and all individuals, workers, spectators or school employees or parents with an interest in not only staying safe, but in fostering an environment in which people can work, pray and thrive without the fear of becoming a shooting victim. Some points we cover in the course include:

 Knowing the warning signs of a person who might be inclined to commit an act of violence as revenge or because the person holds personal grievances against identified individuals
 Equipping the workforce, students, faculty or congregation with an updated emergency action plan designed to provide the tools necessary to react effectively during a shooting or other act of violence, and
 Educating attendees on the importance of being proactive rather than reactive and of engaging frequently with local police, FBI or security professionals.

SecuritySolutionsWatch.com: Let’s talk about “Background Screening” for a moment. What is your perspective Steve on the importance of doing thorough background checks especially in these times in the face of recent crime trends.

Steve Cocco: Well, we just spoke about the Walmart shooter and that is a case of systemic failure. Unfortunately, only national legislation with stringent requirements for screening would be effective in keeping guns out of the hands of those who intend to commit crimes with them. A state-by-state approach does not work, for obvious reasons. Background checks should not only include database checks for criminal history or history of threatening behavior, but familiarization with the mental health history of the prospective gun owner. There are privacy concerns there with regard to mental health-but which is better, temporarily denying an applicant a deadly weapon or risking a shooting in which innocent people are killed or injured? There needs to be a political will to move in that direction and although the public may agree, politicians are likely to push back.

SecuritySolutionsWatch.com: We also read with great interest on your site about…
THREAT AND VULNERABILITY ASSESSMENTS...

“Your business is secure and you and your employees are safe once inside, right? You probably know by now that such an attitude disregards today’s most critical and common threats, from the nightmare of a workplace violence event to a devastating loss of data or intellectual property due to a disgruntled employee-an “insider” threat. Have you ever conducted a survey of your current safety and security posture? Have you taken stock of the threats in your immediate surroundings, in your region, country and in your industry or market segment as well? Be proactive and get a comprehensive threat and vulnerability assessment. We’ll cover all the essentials in our study and leave you with a complete evaluation of your workplace as well as with a list of remedies you can take to mitigate threats.” (https://www.securitystrategiestoday.com/threat-and-vulnerability-assessments/) .

Care to elaborate for us, Steve, about your process in performing a “threat and vulnerability assessment”. Please tell us about the journey that your clients take when they engage with you.

Steve Cocco: When a client engages us to perform a threat and vulnerability assessment, that client can expect a detailed and comprehensive look at every aspect of its operations and their effect on security. We look at doors, locks, barriers, frontage and other structures for weak access points or vulnerabilities. We take a look at the lighting, both inside and outside and assess it for sufficiency. We will also look at the visitor and vendor access process and screening. Finally, we will take a look at employee security and procedures with the intention of enhancing both security and workplace safety-is there an emergency action plan? Has it been practiced? Has it been updated lately and do all employees/administrators or contractors know where to find it? It is a detailed process which unfolds over a few days, but it is well worth the cost and time. At its conclusion, the client receives a detailed report which we review with them and a series of recommendations which they may consider implementing in order to harden the overall security environment.

SecuritySolutionsWatch.com: Schools, religious institutions, shopping malls, sports venues, retail establishments, any workplace today, for that matter, is, unfortunately, vulnerable today. Are there any recent engagements, Steve, that you would like to share with us?

Steve Cocco: I recently performed a threat and vulnerability assessment at a large shopping mall and another one at an apartment housing complex. There are significant differences between them and each location of course serves a different purpose and brings a different demographic. A housing complex needs to focus on access from the outside and on safe walkways, garages and common areas. Are all public-facing doors or gates locked so that only authorized individuals can enter? Are internal walkways and common areas well-lit? Are CCTV cameras in place and operational? On the other hand, a shopping mall seeks to encourage public entry and so its threat profile is vastly different.

With a religious institution, the threat is sometimes even harder to quantify. Even if we assume that the physical structure is secure, what do we know about the congregants or attendees? How do we vet or assess a new member? What do we do if we receive a threatening phone call, email or if our exterior walls are defaced with graffiti?

Let's take a look for a second at a religious institution. There is no shortage of hate speech and all religions have been targeted. You need to take hatred voiced at individuals because of their faith or religious practices as a possible precursor to violence. I say possible, because of course most hate speech is protected speech and most does not rise to the level of a threat. But look at that person closely and be mindful of that person's activities. Screen new congregants closely and look at their social media posts for possible signs of violent ideations.

SecuritySolutionsWatch.com: Any upcoming speaking engagements, Steve, that we should know about?

Steve Cocco: I will once again be present at ISC West in Las Vegas this March and will be participating in panel events involving workplace safety and overall business security.

SecuritySolutionsWatch.com: Thank you again for joining us today, Steve. Is there anything else you would like to discuss today?

Steve Cocco: Yes. Don't hesitate to give us a call or send us an email for more information. Our website provides further detail but we always appreciate a call!
****************************************************************************************************************

For the complete "In The Boardroom" discussion with Steve Cocco, President, Security Strategies Today, please click here: https://www.securitysolutionswatch.com/Interviews/in_Boardroom_SecurityStrategies_Steve_Cocco.html
****************************************************************************************************************
Connect on LinkedIn with Steve Cocco: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stevecocco/
*******************************************************************************************************
About SecuritySolutionsWatch.com
www.SecuritySolutionsWatch.com features thought leadership and content-marketing regarding: AI, Biometrics, Cybersecurity, FinTech, IT, IoT, Robotics, Physical Security and COVID-19 solutions. Our flagship IN THE BOARDROOM platform, since 1999, has featured content-marketing programs from leading global brands such as: Allied Universal, ASSA ABLOY, AT&T, Cisco, Dell EMC, Fujitsu, G4S, GE, Gemalto, Honeywell, HPE, IBM, Intel, McAfee, Microsoft, Panasonic, SAP, Siemens, Stanley Security, Symantec, UNISYS, and many SME’s, in the USA, EMEA, and APAC. For more information about us: www.SecuritySolutionsWatch.com

Martin Eli Publisher
SecuritySolutionsWatch.com
Editor@SecuritySolutionsWatch.com
Visit us on social media:
Twitter
LinkedIn